Hard Times
by Mapperson722
Summary: Hiei makes a mistake, ends up in prison... what will happen when he has all that time to think? Will he discover things about himself that he had never thought about before? Or will new and strange feelings begin to rise within our favorite Fire Demon? Possible yaoi later on, but mostly soft and mild fluff, a bit of romance, and of course, a bunch of hidden feelings. H/K K/OC H/OC.
1. Chapter 1: Hard Times

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line and maybe later on a few original characters but that is later. Until then, it is only about our favorite demons and the hard times that they face, especially Hiei. When he makes a mistake and kills a human that was about to kill Kurama, what will be his punishment? And what will Kurama do about it? Maybe a little Yaoi later on in the story, but mostly friendships and all. Enjoy.**_

))_))_

Koenma sighed heavily as he paced the floor in front of the group. A medical doctor for his staff was tending to wounds that Kurama had endured in the Human World, some that were life threatening if not treated. He winced as the doctor wrapped his shoulder. He shook his head and looked at the one in the middle. Hiei stood in the middle of the group, his hands in handcuffs behind him and he was staring down at the floor.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Hiei? After all these years? You broke your contract with me!" Koenma snapped harshly.

Hiei looked up and frowned. "I will not take back what I did. There would be one less to your team if I didn't step in."

Kurama groaned as the doctor wrapped his chest. Koenma glanced at the demon being treated then to the defiant demon before him. Yusuke and Kuwabara were sitting nearby wishing that there was something that they could do, something that they could say to get their teammate out of this mess.

"So... you DO NOT regret what you did?" Koenma looked at him.

Hiei shook his head. "I didn't say that. I do regret having to break my contract to kill a human, but I will not take it back. Not when a friend is the brunt of his anger. Not when that bastard raised a gun and shot him!"

Koenma shook his head. "Despite what was happening, Hiei. You simply can't kill a human! It makes too much of a mess when the police from the Human World start to snoop around a homicide!"

Hiei looked down, he knew that, but if he hadn't stepped in when he did, Kurama would have been shot a third time, and that time, even he wouldn't have been able to survive it. Koenma walked to his desk and picked up the contract in which Hiei had signed at the bottom. He shook his head and tore the contract in half, then in half again. Hiei flinched, he knew what the demi-god was tearing up, and that wasn't good.

"You have left me with no choice, Hiei," Koenma began as he turned to him. "It pains me to have to do this, after all the progress that you have made... but I simply cannot ignore treason. I have no choice but to take back my deal with you, and you will serve out the remainder of your sentence in prison. Three years on top, for treason. That totals out to seven years in all. Without the possibility of parole."

The guards came and started to lead him away. Kurama pushed the doctor away and stood up. "Koenma, please there has to be something that you can do!"

Koenma ignored the fox as the guards closed the door behind them, Hiei between them as they walked to the transport car. Kuwabara and Yusuke stood up to make a move to the door but Koenma's warning stopped them both. "You will join him, if you walk through that door."

Yusuke stopped and turned to the demi-god. "You are the lord here! You can stop this!"

Koenma shook his head. "The contract that Hiei signed stated very clearly that he was bound by the law to PROTECT the humans. If he hurt one, it could be overlooked with an added year to his sentence. But if he killed one, then his contract was null and void and he would serve the rest of his sentence in prison. He signed it knowing full well the consiquences of his actions."

Kurama sat back down as the dizziness returned. "Koenma, you would have let one of your own go, just so that a human could live?"

Koenma turned to him. "If your human form had been killed, Kurama. Then you would have returned to the Demon World as the demon that you were meant to be. Your time in the Human World would have been over, and though your mother would have mourned you, she was going to be alright. You can't make rash decisions, for everything in the universe happens for a reason."

Kurama blinked. "Not everything happens for a reason, Koenma. We are all living proof of that!"

Yusuke nodded. "Going into the Dark Tournaments there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that we were going to win..."

"Actually... you were all destined to win," Koenma stated. "That is why I asked you to fight. If you hadn't fought, then the Demon World and the Spirit World would have fallen into chaos."

Again, Kurama shook his head. "We only won..."

"Because it was the Fate's plan," Koenma said. "Believe in them or not, Kurama, but they guide us through life, making our decisions for us. They simply give us the choice. If we follow their path, then the world goes on, if not, then everything turns chaotic. That is just the way things are. Now... enough of this. It is done and there is nothing that can be done."

))_))_

Hiei looked down in his cell. Because of his strength and the fact that he had put many of the demons here himself, he was kept in solitary confinement. He shrugged his shoulders, it could be worse... Kurama could be dead and he would still be out there walking around hating himself for letting his friend die at the hands of a human. He shook his head and leaned back against the tiny cot's pillows. At least he didn't have to do anything for Koenma anymore. Once his time was done here, he could go back to doing what he wanted, when he wanted and not having to worry about weather the brat was going to call or not. Hiei looked at the ceiling, seven years wasn't that bad... at least he had a roof over his head, three meals a day, and all the time in the world to think. That was what scared him the most though. He hated when there was nothing to do. He could let his thoughts wonder and they would take him to darker times in his life that he didn't like to think about.

But then again, the whole point of going to prison in the Demon World was to think about the shit that got you there in the first place. It was a time to look back and reflect on what decisions had been made to get you here. Hiei shrugged. Kurama was alive and there was nothing that he would have done differently. He closed his eyes and frowned as the scene began to play back in his mind...

__Flashback__

_Kurama groaned as the human hit him in the stomach. He fell to the cold pavement and coughed lightly, the force of the human's blow knocking the air from his lungs. Hiei stood back, hoping that Kurama would at least fight back. But his contract stated the same thing as his did, and was bound by law to protect the miserable race. Kurama looked up at his assailant. The man chuckled darkly and demanded his wallet. "I told you... I don't have it on me..." Kurama said again._

_Kurama struggled to push himself up off the concrete, but the ice around him made the task nearly impossible. The attacker didn't like his answer and with a single kick, hit the fox in his side and turned him so that he was facing him again. The man grew tired of the boy's reluctance and reached into his pocket. He drew a pistol from the depth of his pocket and pulled back the hammer as he aimed it at Kurama. _

_"Give. Me. Your. Fucking. Wallet!" the man bit out each word through gritted teeth. _

_Kurama put his hands up. "I am a student... I don't carry it with me!" Kurama insisted. "Please..."_

_The man fired a single shot and it hit him in the stomach, causing Kurama to curl to the side with an agonizing yelp. The man pushed his shoulder so that he was on his back once again. He demanded that the boy stop lying to him and aimed the pistol again. When Kurama's tears began to flow, the man growled and pulled the trigger once more, the bullet burying itself into the left shoulder. Kurama cried out and again, curled up to get rid of the pain. As a demon, there were things he could do to get rid of pain, but it was against the laws of the Demon World to ever show your powers to a human. Kurama shuddered as he heard the man cock the gun again and closed his eyes and waited for the kill shot... but it never came. When he turned his head to look, he seen Hiei standing there, his sword through the man's chest and the gun fell lifelessly to the ground. _

_"Hiei!" Kurama said. "What have you done!"_

_Hiei let the lifeless human fall to the ground, and sheathed his sword. He turned to the fox and crouched by his side. Kurama groaned in pain as his blood was seen forming a pool above his shoulder. Hiei's eyes widened and took his right arm. "Come on, Fox. We have to get you out of here..."_

_Kurama was lifted to his feet and cried out, the pain in his shoulder was almost unbearable. Hiei helped him walk towards the nearest portal to the Demon World. He was stunned when there were four guards on the other side. Two of them took Kurama from his arms, the other two took him by the forearms and pulled his arms behind his back. They informed him that he was under arrest for the murder of a human. They cuffed him and the six of them traveled to the office, where Hiei received his sentence..._

_End Flashback_

Hiei opened his eyes and sat up. He frowned and looked around, for the hall was dark. It was dark outside and the guards had turned off the hall lights for the night. He sighed lightly, this was a dark that was quite unnerving. You couldn't see anything. There wasn't even the glow of an exit sign to be seen. Hiei shrugged. He deserved to be here. He had purposely killed a human and now he was going to have to face the time.

))_))_

Kurama sighed lightly as he slowly walked through the portal to the Human World. He limped lightly as he held his stomach to stop the pain, but it didn't help. He was going to have a hard time explaining to his mother what was taking him so long to get home that night. He sighed lightly. He couldn't let her see the bandages. She would freak, and that wasn't a good thing. He hated seeing her upset and so he figured he would have to tell her, a slight truth. His wallet was indeed missing, but it was most likely in the Demon World somewhere. He would simply tell her that he was mugged and that the man had hit him pretty hard, which was true. He winced at the thought of how hard that man really did hit him. It had been a long time since someone had knocked the air from his lungs with just a single punch. And yet, looking at the man now, he was built like a Mack Truck.

He unlocked the door and walked into the peaceful home. "Mother, I'm home."

Shiori came out of the kitchen with her arms folded over her chest. "Do you realize what time it is Shuiichi? It is almost ten o clock! I was so worried about you!"

She stopped dead in her tracks when she seen him holding his stomach... what... She came forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, Kurama wincing, wishing it was his right shoulder. She gasped lightly as she took her hand away. "Son... what happened?"

Kurama smiled lightly and she walked him to the couch. "Nothing, mother..."

"Do not lie to me, Shuiichi," she snapped and he looked at her. "Tell me, son... what happened?"

Kurama sighed and leaned his head against the back of the couch. "I was mugged..."

She gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. "Dear God, no... Are you hurt? Where is he? Who did this?"

He put a hand up and shook his head. "I'm fine... just a bit bruised. I will be alright in a few days."

In truth, he would be fully recovered in a few days. Though he knew that he was going to be sore tomorrow. His back was hurting from being thrown to the ground so roughly. The ice made the concrete colder and more hurtful for someone that fell upon it. She stood up and walked to the kitchen. She began to mess around in the kitchen and Kurama knew that she was trying to calm herself down by fussing over tea. He smiled, that actually sounded good at the moment. But a painful pang in his shoulder made him suck in a breath through clenched teeth, god it hurt. He had never actually been shot before... not in Youko's form and not in this one... and GEEZ it was painful! Now he could see why most gunshot victims would either parish or else turn to prescription pain killers. He almost wish he had one now...

"Shuiichi..." Shiori said lightly from his side. She was holding out her hand, with two odd looking pills. "Take these, they will help with the pain."

That scared him sometimes how he could be thinking of something and it would magically appear with his mother. He shook his head and turned away. Her stern voice told him to listen to her and he frowned. "What are they?"

She gently pushed her hand towards him and he took the two pills from her hand. "They are just a stronger Tylenol. Prescription strength. Please, take them."

Kurama sighed lightly and took the glass of water that she was holding, wincing as he lifted the pills to his mouth. He swallowed the pills as the water helped them down and sighed heavily as she took the glass from him. She smiled lightly, she had been able to trick him. They were in fact Vicodin. She smiled again as she walked out of the living room and into the kitchen to make some tea. When she left the room, Kurama looked and shook his head. He spit out one of the pills, frowning that one had actually slipped down his throat. He reached over and got a tissue from the box. _"Nice try, mother._"

He sighed as he put the extra pill in his pocket and frowned as he knew that the other pill was still going to affect him. It was going to mix with the shot that the doctor in the Demon World had given him for the pain. He had been warned that it would take at least forty five minutes to take full effect and that he should try to relax as soon as he could get home. The shot was going to make him dizzy and he glanced up the stairs to his room. He groaned and doubted that he was going to be able to make it up there tonight. He really needed a shower though... he could smell the blood that had soaked the edges of his hair. He just hoped that his mother didn't catch the smell.

Shiori came into the room with a smile and sat a cup of tea within his reach. He smiled and picked up the cup. With a sigh he sipped the warm tea, content as it seemed to warm him through. Shiori smiled as he seemed to enjoy the tea. She looked up to his room and frowned. "Do you want me to help you upstairs?"

Kurama shook his head. "I don't think that is a good idea." Kurama nodded to the spare room to the side of the living room. "I think I am going to take a bath and stay down here tonight."

Shiori frowned. "A bath? Perhaps that can wait until tomorrow... don't want you to fall asleep in there..."

Kurama seen her stop herself and smirked as she had almost given herself away. "What's wrong, mother? Think a few Tylenol are going to make me so drowsy that I can't get back out?"

She frowned again. "Not at all, sweetheart. Just... want you to take it easy, that's all."

He smiled. He knew that she wasn't going to admit that she had tricked him into taking something other than what she said they were. She smiled lightly as she stood up and walked into the spare room. He shook his head, his mother was slick, and he had to admit, that made him proud. He was one of the sneakiest demons in the world, and yet, she could sometimes trick him into things that he wouldn't have caught unless she had given herself away. She was able to trick him in the smoothest of ways, and she smiled brightly while doing it, every time.

Kurama stood up cautiously and knew that he only had about ten to fifteen minutes to get into the bath and clean himself up before the shot was going to start taking effect. Shiori came to his side but he told her that he was fine and walked into the room. Once in the room, he sighed heavily, pretending he wasn't as hurt as he really was, that was truly exhausting. He walked to the bathroom and turned on the water. He adjusted the temp and used his energy to cover all the bandages, keeping them from getting wet. He stepped into the tub after stripping down and sighed softly as the warm waters swirled around him. After soaking for a few minutes, he washed his hair, wincing as he had to lift his sore shoulder. After his hair was washed he let the water out of the tub and stood up, grabbing a towel from the rack next to the bathtub. He wrapped one of them around his shoulders and the other around his waist. If his mother decided to look in on him, she wouldn't see the bandages.

About ten minutes later, Kurama was dressed in clean clothes that his mother had placed on the end of his bed and smiled lightly as he pulled back the blankets. He seen that his cup of tea had been transferred to the nightstand next to the bed and smiled again. He sat against the soft pillows and leaned back. He sipped his tea, until he felt the drowsiness begin to kick in. He felt dizzy, and sat the cup down, a soft clank against the wooden dresser. He groaned and turned out the light and laid down. He fell asleep and knew that the next morning, he was going to have to fight to suppress the pain again, and that was a fight that he doubted that he was going to win that battle.

))_))_

The End of Chapter One. Alright, I hope you enjoyed so far. Things will get better, I promise. I can't help but be so descriptive some times. But then again, who can? So leave me a comment, review, and requests and I will try to get to them quickly. Ta Ta For Now.


	2. Chapter 2: Unwelcome Feelings

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line, and maybe a few original characters along the way. But that is later, in the meantime, our favorite little fire demon is stuck in prison, in solitary confinement and he is stuck with too much time on his hands. What will happen next? Without any more delays... I give you Chapter Two: Unwelcome Feelings.**_

))_))_

Hiei sighed heavily as he paced around his too small cell. He hated this. He understood why he was here... he just hated that he wasn't even allowed to have books for another six weeks. He groaned at the thought... six more weeks of the same old thing every day. Pacing around the cell, thinking about stupid stuff, and pacing some more. He wasn't even allowed yard time with the other inmates. That was a relief, considering the solitary confinement was located closely to the rest of them and they had already thrown threats his way. Hiei smirked looking through the bars, let them throw all the threats that they wanted... he was only here for a short time, unlike most of them, who were serving multiple life sentences. He smirked as he walked back to the bed. He needed something to do, otherwise he was most likely going to go stir crazy in here.

It had been two months, and he was counting the days by little notches that he was putting in the wall next to his bed. His fingernails were sore from the task of counting days, but hey... it gave him something to look forward to each morning. The task was a tedious one, for using a fingernail to scratch into rock wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. Several of his fingers were red and raw from the last couple of days. He looked at his hand and smirked. The pain was gone, but the redness wasn't... he frowned... that red reminded him of Kurama. His gorgeous red hair that always seemed to blow in the wind.

Hiei shook his head.. What the hell? He shook his head again and sat back against the bed. He was starting to lose it. _"Get it together, Hiei." _Hiei sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. He wished that he at least had one little thing to occupy his time with, even a bouncing ball would satisfy him right now! Ooo the thought of a tennis ball to bounce around his cell seemed like a joy to him at the time. But he was still on probation watch here and had to prove that he could behave himself before he started to gain any perks here. He still had three months to go before he could have visitors, although he knew that list was a short one, and it was still six months before he could start having letters and sending them.

Hiei wasn't much of a writer, but if he could just have the pen and paper right now, he was sure that he could write a million pages before the end of his sentence. He sighed again, god the time seemed to drag on in here. No wonder why so many inmates ended up hanging themselves with their own bedsheets. He looked at his sheets and sighed heavily. Unlike the others here, he had a reason to get out. He had to survive this place so that he could get back to his life, the one that he was living before the fateful night that he had ended up working for Koenma...

__Flashback__

_Hiei smirked darkly as he watched the humans running around the village. The Makai was a perfect place to practice using the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. He knew that Koenma's men were getting close, and was just waiting for the moment to unleash the demon spirit within his arm. The men here were weak and the dragon would kill them quickly, evaporating everything that they were, including their souls. He enjoyed terrorizing people. But this wasn't something that he was expecting. A mere human walked up to him one night and he could have passed for a woman. But the deep voice that reverberated from those pale lips confirmed him wrong. _

_"I know who you are," the man said. "You can help me. And I am sure that I can help you."_

_Hiei smirked. "If you value your life, boy, then you should leave while you still have the chance."_

_The boys chuckled lightly as he stuck his hands in his pocket. "And if I don't?"_

_Hiei growled at the boy and turned on him, drawing his sword and bringing it down on his opponent. However, the boy barely moved as he simply caught Hiei's sword blade in between his two hands. Hiei looked at him and he was simply smiling back at him. "Do I have your attention now?"_

_Hiei growled lightly as he sheathed his sword. "What do you want, human?"_

_The boy smiled. "My name is Kurama. And I know of a weapon that could make you twice as deadly as you are now... one that can change a mere human into a demon..."_

_Hiei smiled. "Now you do have my attention, Kurama," he said as he watched the boy step up next to him and pointed to a building in the distance. _

_"That is Koenma's castle," Kurama said. "Inside the vaults of the castle lie three powerful artifacts. One can suck the souls out of a person and all they have to do is touch it. One is a mirror that will grant you one wish, trading something to give the user what he or she wants, and the other is a sword. A banshee sword once used to create a demon army in the human world. A sword that one of your status would deem a worthy weapon."_

_Hiei smirked. "And how do you expect to get into the vault?"_

_Kurama smiled. "I can handle the entrance," he said and turned to his companion, "The exit is what I need help with."_

_))_))__

_Hiei and Kurama had broken into the vaults and gained the artifacts that they had gone to acquire. After using them both, Koenma sent his spirit detective, Yusuke after them, one by one and then they were caught and brought before Koenma. _

_"I can use both of your skills," Koenma said to them. "Instead of sending you both to prison, I will make you a deal. Protect the humans that are under my watch and you will walk free among them. Refuse and you both will spend the next fifteen years in prison. Do we have a deal?"_

_End Flashback_

Hiei smirked as remembered how he had met Kurama. The thought of him back then, how cocky he was, how smoothly he was able to pull him into something so juicily evil. But the outcome was something neither had thought about. They were both too cocky to believe that they could get caught, and neither would have ever imagined that it was a human that was born with the blood of a battle demon coursing through his veins that would catch them. Yusuke was good, Hiei had to admit, but he was still a fool. But then again, Yusuke had stood up for him on several occasions and that was something that had shocked him more than anything else. He could consider the man a friend... but that oaf... no, never. He hated that foolish boar of a human. He was the most ridiculous member of the team, and though he had his strengths, he was more of a pain in the ass then help.

))_))_

Kurama walked into Koenma's office with a new found hope. He had been thinking about the contract and how they had been repaying their debts. He stood at Koenma's desk. "Koenma, I must speak to you."

"If this is about Hiei again, then forget it," Koenma said as he glanced up, but frowned to see the bright smile on the fox's face. "What do you want?"

Kurama sat at the chair that was in front of the desk. "Our contracts that you have put into place for us... you said that we were to work off our sentences... right."

"Yes, and you have been, that is why there was only four years left on his sentence," Koenma said and folded his arms across his desk. "I told you Kurama..."

"Please, let me finish," Kurama stopped him. "You gave us one wish once we won the Dark Tournaments. I am willing to trade you."

"Your wish for what?" Koenma asked.

"The end of Hiei's sentence," he stated. "Even if I use my wish, it will be the same."

Koenma pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "I CANNOT do that, Kurama. I really wish that I could... but if I do, I will lose my position, the borders to the Human World will be closed and the Demon World will suffer if I let one person go early."

Kurama frowned. "Koenma please... at least make it so that he has a chance for parole soon."

Koenma looked at the fox, there was something in his plea that made him stop. "Why is this so important to you, Kurama?"

Kurama looked down. "Because I hate to see my friend suffer because of something that happened to me. I could have fought back to mugger, but I chose not to. He was only defending me and I hate to see him punished for a decision that I made in fear."

Koenma sighed heavily. "It has only been two months, even if I did set something up... it would still be at least a year before he went against the parole board. And they are not gentle, Kurama. They do not like it when someone that is in prison for treason comes before them. They don't look too kindly on them."

"But you could give him a recommendation, couldn't you?" Kurama asked. "Surely you could."

Koenma shook his head. "That is something that I cannot do. I have never been allowed to even know when the parole hearings are, let alone give a letter of recommendation. The parole board must believe that he has learned his lesson and turn around and be reentered into society. They cannot believe for one second that he doesn't regret what he has done, and they cannot believe that he is a risk to those that are around him."

Kurama sighed. "Can you at least grant him visitation or something?"

Koenma smiled lightly. "He is up for visitation review in the next few weeks. I am sure he will be fine until then."

Kurama looked down, damn, he was hoping that he was going to do something to help his friend sooner. But with a heavy sigh, he stood up and thanked Koenma for listening to him. But before he could leave, Koenma called to him.

"I do not condemn him for helping you, Kurama," Koenma said softly. "But I just wish that he could have hurt him instead of killing him. I condemn him only because he took a life, and a scumbag like the one he did take, still it was a life."

Kurama nodded and looked down. "I appreciate you telling me that, sir."

"Make sure that Hiei knows that when you see him," Koenma said, knowing that the moment he got word, Kurama would be up there visiting him as often as he could.

Kurama nodded with a smile as he turned and walked out of the building. He had gone in there hoping that he could use his wish to turn the sentence around... but instead, he got info that he wasn't expecting. He smiled to know that Koenma felt as bad as he did about sending Hiei to prison. To know that he did in fact praise him for making the choice that he had, but still Kurama could see that he simply couldn't overlook it. He walked through the portal to the Human World and thought about how Hiei was doing, hoping that he wasn't so bored that he was banging his head on the walls. The thought made Kurama smile. Poor Hiei, he wished that there was a way that he could check in on him, but he had tried that and been denied.

Shiori looked at him as he walked into the house and smiled. "Hello, dear. You are home early tonight."

Kurama smiled. "I got bored at my friends. So I came home."

She nodded and watched him walk up the stairs to his room. She shook her head and knew that he was hiding something, but just wished that she knew what. Upstairs, Kurama shut his door with a sigh, his eyes instantly going to the windowsill where Hiei had always visited him. Oh how he missed the startling sight every time he would come into the room, not expecting to find the fire demon sitting on his sill. The fire demon was such a regular sight, it was sad to come to his room, knowing that he wouldn't be there. He walked to the window and ran his fingers over the curtains blowing lightly in the cool breeze. He could still smell Hiei's scent on them, and the smell was unnerving. It had been two months, and the smell was still as strong as ever, blowing a spicy scent through the room. Kurama smiled and leaned against the sill. Oh how he missed the little spark plug of a friend. He missed their playful banter and their serious conversations, he even missed the way Hiei could go from friend to pissed off foe in the blink of an eye.

"I hope you are okay in there, Hiei," Kurama said softly staring out the window. "Please be strong."

Shiori was standing at his door and frowned at the sound of the longing in her son's voice. She knew who Hiei was, and she was nervous around him. He was dark, and his eyes, they were an unnatural color. She didn't like him hanging around her son so much, but her son defended him with every fiber of his being... and a sickening thought crossed her mind. She frowned and stepped away from the door... no... her son wasn't gay. She took a calming breath and knocked on his door.

Kurama looked at her and smiled lightly. "Yes, mother?"

"Are you alright, son? You seem kind of down," she said, probing for information.

Kurama nodded and stood up straight. "I'm fine mother, just a little restless, that's all."

She frowned, her son was never restless. Ever since that friend of his disappeared a few months ago, her son seemed depressed. "Restless about what?"

Kurama sat on the edge of his bed and cursed her sense of curiousity. "Nothing... everything... I don't know..."

She came in and sat down next to him. "Upset that your friend left?"

Kurama flinched. She did notice. "A little. But he said that he had things to take care of out of town. I can't blame him for leaving so quickly."

Shiori frowned and probed deeper. "What type of things?"

Kurama knew his mother was fishing now. She never asked so many questions unless she was digging for something. "I don't know, mother. He said it was a family matter. I didn't question him."

"You miss him," she stated. Kurama sighed and nodded.

Kurama shook his head. "I mean... we still talk every now and then, but its not the same. You know that I hate phone conversations."

Shiori decided to push the line and ask the question that was unnerving her the most. "Do... do you have feelings for him, darling?"

Kurama blinked and turned to her. "What?!"

She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her arms in defense. "It seems like you do, that's all. I mean, ever since he left you have been down, spending less and less time with your other friends. And the way you sometimes stare out the window makes me wonder... just how much you really do miss him, and WHAT you could miss about him so much."

Her son shook his head and chuckled lightly. "Mother... he is just a friend. There is nothing going on between us! I have a girlfriend."

Shiori stopped, this was the first time that she had heard that. "Since when?"

"About six months now," he replied and knew that he was going to get a lecture about that. "And before you ask, no, she isn't some stranger that I just met on the street. We have known each other for about two years and six months ago, I asked her out on a date, and we've been together ever since."

"Why on earth haven't I met her yet, then?" she asked. "You know that I want grandchildren! But, wait... how old is she?"

Kurama shook his head, he really stepped in it this time. "She is the same age as me, and you are gonna have to wait for grandkids, mother. We aren't that far along in our relationship yet."

"Oh, come on, Shuiichi," she said. "I know better than that."

"I am serious mother," he said solidly. "We haven't been intimate together. She wants to wait and so I will wait until she is ready."

"But you have been with someone before," she stated, giving away that she had heard the girl before this one. "I know for a fact that you have."

Kurama blushed. "I knew that I should have taken her somewhere else."

Shiori smiled. "I know what it is like to be a teenager, son. I know how it feels to have..."

Kurama stopped her and waved his hands. "Ahh.. mom! Not the way a conversation between us needs to go!"

Shiori smirked and stood up. "Alright, but I would like to meet this one. The other one... well her voice seemed to be the only meeting we ever got."

Kurama felt the blood rush to his cheeks. "MOM!"

Shiori snickered lightly as she walked out of the room, that ought to give her son something to think about for a while. Kurama shook his head, standing up to close the door behind his mother. She could still be heard laughing as she walked down the stairs. She was sneaky. He had said it before. And now... he was getting annoyed with it. He turned back to the window and sighed lightly. What had made her think that he had feelings for Hiei? Yeah, he was upset that he wasn't around... but...

The afternoon rolled on, and Kurama just laid back on his bed, occasionally texting with his girlfriend now that she was off work. He would chuckle about her complaints that the patrons of the restaurant were jerks. He shook his head as he replied that she should talk to the manager about it. He laid the phone on the bed and sighed lightly as he folded his hands behind his head. He heard the ringer go as she texted back, but he decided to give it a minute as his thoughts drifted to when he tried to teach Hiei how to text.

__Flashback__

_Hiei growled at the phone as he tried. Kurama sat across from him and chuckled lightly. "Just type in the letters and hit send. It's easy."_

_Hiei looked at the screen and tapped several words out. He hit the send button, but nothing happened. He frowned and tapped it again, a bit harder than the first time. This time a little window came up and said sent. Kurama's phone dinged as the message came through. He opened it and chuckled as he read the message. "I hate you." Kurama shook his head and replied. It was just a lesson to teach him the ropes, and he was managing better than either of them had thought. _

_Hiei looked at his phone and read Kurama's reply. "No you don't." Hiei frowned and looked up at the fox. "You are wrong, Kurama. This is stupid."_

_Kurama sighed lightly as they sat their phones down, Kurama folding his legs beneath him on the bed. "It's a quicker way to talk to someone when you don't have the time to call them. It's not stupid if you knew how to do it."_

_Hiei shook his head. "What happened to the times, Kurama? When I was growing up, if we had something to say, then we picked up the housephone and called someone up. We didn't have cell phones then."_

_Kurama nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "Time changes everything, Hiei. Look at me. I am the perfect example of what time can do."_

_"You were born a human, therefore more easily manipulated by Human ways," Hiei snapped. _

_"Perhaps, but my true nature still shines in everything I do," he said to him. "There are things that I do, that humans don't. And there are things that humans do that I do not. I am still as selfish as I was in the past, just more about things that are important to me, and not glittery objects."_

_"You are a fox," Hiei stated blandly, "You will always be attracted to shiny objects."_

_"Not true," Kurama defended. _

_Hiei smirked and pulled the string from around his neck. He held out the tear gem that his mother had given him. It swung side to side in front of Kurama and his eyes were instantly drawn to it, watching it sway from side to side. He frowned as Hiei took the gem away and put it back under his shirt. "Told you."_

_"That's not fair, Hiei," Kurama stated and crossed his arms. "You can't bring out one of the rarest jewels in the world and expect me not to look at it."_

_Hiei snickered lightly. "Only a fox would be drawn to it the way you just were. A normal person would have just looked at it and smiled, you stared at it as if you wanted to take it from me. You wanted to touch it, and when I took it away, you frowned. Only a fox would do that."_

_Kurama stuck his tongue out at him. "I wouldn't take something so close to you, Hiei. I can't believe that you would even think that."_

_"I didn't say that you would," Hiei said and stood up. "I simply said that the fox in you wanted to."_

_He turned and flitted out the window. Kurama stared... the fire demon was right... he had wanted to touch it. Just to see if the legends were true about it. If it was given out of love, it was warm to the touch, but if given out of hate, it was colder than snow. _

_End Flashback_

Kurama was snapped back into reality when his phone rang beside him. He picked it up and frowned to see that his girlfriend was calling him. He pressed talk and lifted the phone to his ear. "Yes..."

"Are you seriously going to ignore me when I ask you a question like that?" the voice on the phone snapped.

Kurama frowned and looked at his phone and seen that there were four missed messages. "Sorry, I was downstairs helping my mother with something."

"I can smell bullshit on you, Kurama!" the voice snapped again. "You are a terrible liar."

He sighed lightly. "Well, now that you have my full attention, what did you want to know?"

The voice growled at him lightly and then there was a pause. "Read the damned messages, and then you will know why I am about to do this."

And with that, she hung up the phone, making Kurama actually sit up on the bed and frown. "Hello? Trish?"

He pulled the phone from his ear and ended the conversation. He opened his messages and frowned.

Message one: I have talked to the manager, and he simply says to ignore them. What else am I supposed to do? I already have two strikes on my record...

Message Two: I was wondering about something, Kurama. I have the house to myself tonight and was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tonight?

Message Three: So.. about dinner? Is that a yes or a no? I need to know, babe...

Message Four: Kurama! If you want to spend more time with me like you said last week, I am giving you the perfect opportunity! You said that you would wait until I was ready... well... dinner has a bit of dessert if you still were serious about us... but if not...

Kurama frowned, shit. He hadn't heard his phone going off, nor had he figured that she would ask him something like that over text message. He groaned and let himself fall into the bed. He lifted the phone up and messaged her back. "Trish, I am sorry. I am worried about Hiei. I was trying to think of something that I could do to get him a lighter sentence and the thoughts overtook all my senses. I am sorry that I didn't hear the phone going off and hope that you will reconsider..."

He sent the message and knew that he was just being a kiss ass. He doubted that she would forgive him, and now he knew that he was in trouble. He was thinking about Hiei again, wondering what advice the fire demon would give him about this. He smirked and shook his head, covering his face with his hands, "What is wrong with me?"

He heard his phone and smiled. He lifted it to where he could read and frowned as he read her message back to him. "I know that you are worried about Hiei. But lately all of your thoughts are about him. I cannot compete with this. If you want to just be friends with me so that you can go after what you truly want, then I think I can live with that... But I will not be the one you keep around just in case things don't go the way you want."

Kurama blinked. He sighed heavily. "I don't have feelings for him!" He tossed his phone on the bed and rubbed his face again. He shook his head and sat up. He was going to have to prove to them all that his feelings for Hiei were ones of friendship, not of love. Kurama stopped. They had never once said love... where had that word come from?

))_))_

End of Chapter Two: Unwelcome Feelings. Hope you are enjoying. Please leave your comments and reviews. I look forward to reading them. Ta Ta For Now.


	3. Chapter 3: Unsure

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line and the few original characters. Hope that you are keeping up with me here, I know the chapters are coming out rather quickly, but I can't seem to take a break. Hehe, love it though. So, on with the story, Kurama and Hiei are starting to realize the things that others around them have already noticed. What will they do next?  
**_

))_))_

Kurama woke from his dreams feeling tired. They were troubling, for they were all about Hiei. Kurama groaned as his alarm went of, indicating that he had to be up. He looked at the time and then shook his head. He was almost tempted to call off his morning classes and sleep in, but then he stopped and frowned. Struggling to get his arm from under the cover, he reached for his phone and seen that it was a Saturday. But he also noticed that there was a flashing box on the front page of his screen. He tapped it and opened the reminder. It simply read, Breakfast with Trish! Kurama shot out of bed and headed into the bathroom. He needed to discuss a few things with her, and as of this morning, his list seemed to grow. His dreams were haunting in a way... he didn't feel like that about Hiei... but there was one way to be sure. And Trish had agreed to it last night.

))_))_

Hiei finished the pitiful meal they called breakfast and sighed heavily. At least it was something... better than some of the things that he had been subjected to when with Keiko and Yusuke. He shuddered at the thought of Keiko's cooking. That was truly a death sentence if you had any notions of eating it. He smirked as his thoughts seemed to drift to a long missed fox demon. He sighed lightly and remembered all of the things that Kurama had introduced him to. With a smile, his thoughts turned to a daydream... he didn't get these often, and frankly they were a guilty pleasure for the hard fire demon. He closed his eyes and let the visions come to him...

__Flashback__

_"Come on, Hiei, just try it," Kurama pleaded with him one afternoon. "You just might like it."_

_Hiei looked down at the bowl and seen two large white mounds of what looked like solid ice, drizzled with chocolate and a banana on both sides of the bowl. He frowned. It looked like something that a pothead would eat after blazing up. He looked up at Kurama who was already eating his. "What is it?"_

_"It's called a Banana Split," Kurama said and took another bite. "It has vanilla ice cream, a banana, and chocolate drizzled over the top. Come on, Hiei. You liked the last thing I made you try. And that was simply a Poptart."_

_Hiei smirked, he did enjoy those things. He sighed heavily and lifted a spoonful to his mouth. As the cold hit his tongue, mixing with the sweet chocolate and the tasty banana, Hiei looked down. "I hate you."_

_Kurama laughed and leaned back against his pillows. "No you don't. You know if you keep saying that, maybe one day it might come true."_

_Hiei frowned as he took another bite. He continued to eat, his eyes glued to the bowl and Kurama chuckled beside him. The ice cream was the first thing that was gone, followed by the banana after he used it to scoop up all the chocolate. Kurama shook his head and sat his finished bowl to the side. "I told you that you would like it."_

_"What was that white stuff?" Hiei asked sitting his bowl next to Kurama's. _

_Kurama smiled. "Ice cream."_

_Hiei mouthed the words as if trying to decipher a huge puzzle. "And it comes with the chocolate and banana?"_

_Kurama laughed lightly. "No, it comes by itself, but the chocolate and banana can be added to create something new. Ergo, the banana split."_

_Hiei sat there pondering the idea of ice cream. He wanted more, but he didn't say anything. Kurama had offered him some, since there wasn't much left. His mother had left him a note that day that told him to finish it off before she got home, so that she knew to stop and get some more. And therefore, Kurama introduced him to a new craving... ICE CREAM... the thought of the words alone made his mouth water as Kurama washed out their bowls and place them facing down in the dish rack. He had to admit, Humans could come up with some things that demons couldn't._

_End Flashback_

The thought of Ice Cream made his mouth water for real. Damn that fox for introducing him to so many things! But then again, he did have to thank the fox, for he couldn't think of what he would have done without ever having been introduced to the stuff.

))_))_

Kurama smiled lightly as Trish walked into the cafe. Her long curly black hair and sparkling blue eyes glittered and lit up as she seen him. She took a cautious step down the stair and then walked to the table that he was sitting at. "Hey, I am so glad that you invited me to breakfast."

She reached down and kissed him on the cheek, damn, he was hoping that last night's conversation was just a bad beginning to those dreams... "Anytime."

"Sorry, I'm late," she said lightly as she sat in the chair across from him. "Damn city people don't know how to drive!"

Kurama chuckled lightly as the waitress came to give them a menu. "It's alright, Trish... I was kind of hoping to give you that excuse myself, but seeing that I beat you here, the point is mute."

She looked up at him and chuckled, but noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She frowned. "I hope I wasn't the cause of those bags under your eyes."

Kurama shook his head. "Actually, I was hoping that I could talk to you about something that you said last night."

She smiled and nodded. "Of course, I hope that you didn't take what I said and did too hard, though... I was having a bad night and had no right to take it out on you."

"Well..." he smirked lightly. "I think I kinda deserved it a bit. I was ignoring you... and again, I am sorry about that."

"So that is why you wanted to talk to me, to clear the air about what happened last night?" Trish looked at him and smiled. "I was hoping that you kinda knew."

Kurama took a deep breath. "Yes, and no. The thing is... last night you said that I had feelings for Hiei..."

Trish nodded. "It seems that way to me, I mean, we all took his sentencing a bit hard... even Tanya did, but you, you took it harder than anyone. I mean, I know he's your best friend and all and the only reason that he was sentenced was because he was helping you... but you can't blame yourself, hun."

Kurama nodded and inwardly flinched at her statement. Was it that obvious to EVERYONE? He frowned and looked up at her. "But you don't understand, Trish... I really care about you... I even told my mother about you. And that is a first, believe me."

She smiled lightly. "I care about you too, Kurama. But if I am not going to be your top priority... then what is in this relationship for me?"

Kurama smirked. "I get your point, but I am saying that you and everyone else may be wrong about what I feel."

She stopped and looked at him. "May be wrong? What are you saying that you are unsure about the way you feel?"

Kurama nodded and swallowed hard. "You see, when I look at Hiei, I see my best friend... and yea, things seemed heated and tense around us, I will admit... but I don't see a future with us. However, when I look at you... I can see everything that anyone would want."

She smiled lightly, curious as to what Kurama could possibly see with her in a future together. "Oh, yeah... and what do you see?"

"Don't take this as anything but an explanation, for now... but I can see us sitting on a front porch watching our grandchildren running around in the front yard. I can see happiness and love, and... a possibility."

"What type of possibility?" she asked after the waitress took their order to go. "I mean, the white picket fence, the children, the grandchildren... what other possibilities could there be?"

Kurama shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know... and that is why I called you. I was hoping that maybe we could try something."

Trish laughed lightly as the realization behind Kurama's words. "You want to have a little fun? Just to see if what I said last night is true?"

"Well... when you put it like that it sounds awful!" he said harshly. "I was thinking more of an experiment. I know that you are willing to help me, I can see it in your eyes."

She smiled. Even if she didn't have an actual relationship with him, a single night together would make her the happiest woman in the world. She crossed her fingers together and laid her chin on them as she looked at him. She tilted her head to the side, and smiled. "Only on one condition."

He frowned. She was sneakier than he was sometimes and he had to tread lightly with her. "What's your condition?"

"That it is one FULL night, just to make sure, and..." she leaned across the table and pulled him close enough to whisper in his ear. "... only if the Youko can make an appearance."

Trish sat back in her chair with a satisfied grin as the waitress came back with two bags of food. She handed the check to Kurama and he opened his wallet. He paid the tab, tipped the waitress, and stood up. He took the bags off the table in one hand and walked by, pulling Trish to her feet with his free hand. She smiled lightly as they walked out of the cafe and hailed a cab.

That night, Trish laid back against the pillows and sighed contently. She glanced at the Fox demon staring back at her with his golden eyes. He wasn't very interested, and had only made an appearance, because it was promised that she was kinky. But his kind of kinky was the polar opposite of hers and he hadn't taken too litely to the fact that she didn't let him be dominant. He closed his eyes and summoned back Kurama. She smiled lightly as the silver hair bled red and the eyes that opened were the beautiful green emeralds that had drawn her to him in the first place.

Trish sighed lightly. "You know... for someone who continues to claim that he doesn't have feelings for another... you seemed lost in space a bit, Kurama."

He sighed lightly and turned his head away. "I can't..."

She stopped him before he could berate himself. "Don't blame yourself, Kurama. It is kinda the norm for both of you."

Kurama frowned and sat up on his elbow to look at her. "What do you mean by both of us?"

Trish smiled. "Tonya complains that Hiei sometimes spaces out. That he doesn't seem to be thinking of her sometimes. But hey... if your gay, your gay."

Trish was telling him that it was okay with her that he didn't feel the way she had hoped? God this woman drove him to insanity sometimes. "What are you saying?"

She giggled lightly and sat up in the bed, holding the sheet to cover her breast. "It's a life choice, Kurama. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it! Nothing! I have a lot of gay and lesbian friends. They are the closest friends that a girl can have, because if they are lesbian, then I don't have to worry about them stealing my man. But the guys, however, I just make it a point to them that he is mine."

Kurama frowned knowing that there had to be a deeper meaning to her words. To him it sounded like she was talking around a certain subject. "You experimented before, haven't you?"

She smiled lightly as her cheeks turned a rosy pink. "Hey... it's not only college boys that get bored..."

He smirked and nodded. "True. But you never mentioned that to me before. We have known each other SINCE college."

She shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I experimented... the experiment failed... I went back to guys, and then I met you. It wasn't something that I was exactly telling the world. I knew that I would tell you eventually."

Kurama looked down at his hands and sighed lightly. "How could such feelings be so obvious to other people, but MY feelings are so oblivious to me?"

"It is called unsure for a reason, Kurama," she said lightly. "Some people can realize their feelings before they become known to others, but then some people can't. It's not a fault, you know... things just happen that way."

Kurama sighed lightly again, she had a point. "When did you first start to realize that my feelings weren't for you?"

Trish stood up and took the sheet with her, leaving Kurama naked on the bed. She turned and gave him a good look. "The first time we were together. I couldn't be so sure, though... it wasn't until Hiei was hit by that car that I was sure. You didn't leave his bedside once. Not even I could get your attention then, and that was when I knew."

Kurama turned to the side of the bed and pulled on his boxers. "Almost a year? And you stuck in for this long?"

Trish shrugged her shoulders. "A girl can dream can't she?"

Kurama watched her walk into the bathroom and start the shower. He looked at her and she turned back to him as he picked up his pants and shirt. She walked back to him and planted a feather light kiss on his lips. "I was being serious when I said that I was okay with just being friends. I wouldn't want you to disappear from my life forever, just because you realized your true feelings."

He smiled lightly and hugged her tight. "I wouldn't abandon you. I don't think I ever could."

She smiled and turned to the bathroom where steam was billowing out the door. "Now... go home and get some sleep... tomorrow is your first chance to see him again."

Kurama frowned. "How did you know that Hiei gained his visiting privilege early?"

"He is sleeping with my sister," she called back. "She tells me everything."

Kurama smiled and dressed as he heard her get into the shower. He chuckled lightly and seen a pen and paper on her dresser. He bent down and printed a small note and then signed it. He stuck the note into her mirror and walked out of the house. When Trish got out of the shower a while later, she found the note and smiled as she read it.

_-Trish,  
Thank you for being such a good person. I hope that our friendship will continue to blossom as I may need your advise again soon. I do love you, and I thank you for showing me what it meant to realize that things aren't always as they appear. I will call you tomorrow.  
- Forever, Kurama._

Trish smiled as she walked to her closet and got dressed. Well, that was an unexpected end to the night. She sighed lightly and turned to the bed, stopping when she seen a beautiful yellow rose sitting against her pillow. Kurama had told her a while back that yellow roses meant friendship. She smiled lightly as she picked up the rose, inhaling the floral scent, smirking as she knew that was Kurama's scent. She twirled the rose in her fingers and walked to the spare bedroom. She was unsure how her sister was going to take the breakup with Hiei when he finally did realize HIS feelings. Trish smiled lightly. Now that would be a show.

))_))_

The End of Chapter Three: Unsure. I am sorry that there was no real action in this chapter, but I couldn't find the words that would make the story right, so I just simplified the entire scene. Oh, well. I will save all that mushy and juicy stuff for later. *Wink Wink* Until then, please leave your comments and your reviews and any requests that you might have. I look forward to hearing from you all.


	4. Chapter 4: Visitors Welcome

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I own only the story line and the original characters and that is it. Alright, this chapter will feature more Hiei. I promise, for as the title suggests it is VISITING day for Hiei and he actually has a line of people that want to see him. Wait and see what each visitor has to say. And now... Chapter Four: Visitors Welcome.**_

))_))_

Hiei looked up from his bed and couldn't believe his eyes. He sat up quickly and walked to the bars as the demi-god waited for the guard to leave him be for a moment. He turned to Hiei and smiled lightly. "You seem to be holding up pretty well, considering."

"What are you doing here, Koenma?" Hiei was genuinely surprised to see the lord. He wasn't even in disguise. "What's wrong?"

Koenma smiled lightly. "It seems that you have more friends in this world than you may think. I have been badgered every day since you came here, and almost every one of them requested to see you."

"My visiting rights doesn't kick in for another two weeks," Hiei said and looked down, again surprised to hear that there were others out there that really did care about him. "What have you told them?"

Koenma sighed lightly and shrugged his shoulders. "I told them all that they would all have to wait until the rights were established..."

Hiei looked down and sighed lightly. But he looked back up when he heard the lord chuckle.

"I simply had no choice but to talk to the wardens and ask them to establish that right a bit early," he said and smiled. "I am only the first. Because you are in solitary confinement, there are stricter rules with your visiting. Here in a while, you will be taken to a room that has two-way mirrors. Anything that you and your visitors say will be heard by the guards and the warden in charge. He takes his job seriously. If for any reason, he believes that you are trying to escape, plan an escape, or anything like that, he will end the visit and they will be suspended for a month. Are you clear on that, Hiei?"

Hiei nodded, but he stopped. "So... what exactly are the rules, Koenma?"

Koenma smiled as the guards returned with an oversized man leading them. "Warden Granger will explain them to you on your way. I will see you again, Hiei. Good luck."

Hiei nodded and turned to Granger. "Step back and face the wall behind you."

Hiei sighed lightly, this was getting old. He turned to the wall and placed his hands on the wall. He heard the key turn in the lock and the squeak of the door open. He heard one of the guards step in and pull out a pair of handcuffs. "Cross your hands in front of you."

Hiei did as he was told, wanting to say something to the man about being so rude to him, but thought better of it. He was taken from his cell and led down a long corridor. Granger cleared his throat in front of him and glanced over his shoulder at the man. "The rules for solitary confinement prisoners are simple and are as follows...

Rule number one: You may hug or touch the visitors but you must keep your hands where I can see them at all times. You break this rule, you will be cuffed to the chair for the rest of your visits.

Rule number two: Your guests may not bring you anything. If something is brought with them and is approved by my staff, then it must leave with them. Break this rule, and your visit will end immediately.

Rule number three: If it is a girlfriend, you may not kiss. As much as I know you may want to, you may not. This is not a congical visit, and there will be no hanky panky of any kind on my watch. Break this rule, and that visitor will be banned.

Rule number four: You are being watched by my staff and I. If for any reason I believe that there is something funny going on with you and your visitor, I will cease the visit immediately and your visit and revoke your rights.

Are the rules clear to you, Hiei?" The warden was well versed with his rules and knew them as if he was reading them from a book. The warden didn't get a reply as quickly as he was expecting and so he stopped and turned to Hiei. "Did I make the rules clear enough, Hiei?"

Hiei nodded lightly. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Granger said and unlocked a door to his left. He walked inside and waited for Hiei to enter. The guards stayed outside as Hiei walked to the Warden's side. Granger sighed lightly and lifted his hands up as he unlocked the cuffs around his wrists. Hiei rubbed his wrists as he watched the warden walk out of the room and lock the door behind him. Hiei smirked. If he was really planning anything bad, why on earth would he lock him in the room with someone? Hiei shook his head lightly as he heard the door on the opposite side of the room unlock and open.

He smiled lightly as he watched Tonya walk into the room. She gasped lightly and wanted to run over to him. He didn't move, but she watched him look her up and down with a smile. They took a step forward and she sighed heavily as they wrapped their arms around each other. "Oh, Hiei... I've missed you so much!"

She leaned back and Hiei sat at the table across from her. "My god... you have lost weight!"

Hiei smirked. "Yeah... well... what do you expect? This isn't exactly from Caesar's Palace."

She chuckled lightly. "How have you been?"

Hiei sighed lightly and fold his hands on the table in front of him, remembering that his hands had to be visible at all times. "I'm alright... I guess."

She groaned lightly. "I tried to talk to Koenma... but he simply wouldn't budge. I wish he could have given you a lighter sentence."

Hiei shook his head. "It's not that he wouldn't, Tonya. He just couldn't. I broke my contract of my own free will... I now have to face the consequences of my actions. There is nothing that he could do."

Tonya sighed lightly and held her hands out to lay them on top of Hiei's. He pulled them away, but laid them on hers. She looked down, "These rules are ridiculous!"

Hiei smiled lightly. "It could be worse."

"I highly doubt that," she said and looked at him.

"How have you been?" Hiei asked as she smiled at him. "How are things at the ranch?"

She smiled and nodded. "I have been alright... missing you like crazy. But I'll be alright. But things on the ranch do keep me busy. Several of our horses have had their babies. That is a handful, but a welcome distraction."

"That's good. I am glad to hear that you are hanging in there," he said lightly.

"It should be me saying that, Hiei," she said stubbornly. "You are the one in prison, not me."

The door behind them opened and Tonya sighed. "I guess my time is up... that was a quick fifteen minutes. I will come back next week to see you. Okay. I love you."

Hiei smiled lightly and nodded as she walked out of the room. For some reason, he was glad to see her go. He didn't want her in a place like this. He had fought tooth and nail to keep her out of this type of place. But then... that isn't why he was glad. He shook his head sadly as the door opened again.

"Well, well, well," the visitor said as he walked into the room. "How ya been, buddy?"

Hiei smirked as he watched Yusuke sit in the chair across from him, holding out a fist to him. Hiei smiled lightly as he bumped his fist against Yusuke's. Yusuke scooted his chair closer to the table and sighed heavily. "So... how ya been?"

Hiei shook his head. "If I had a dollar for every one that asked that, I would be able to buy this place. I know that you are all worried... but you have to realize I am stronger than you think."

Yusuke smiled and chuckled lightly. "Alright, I promise you that from now on, I won't ask. I will just say.. sup?"

Hiei smiled and nodded. "I'm good. Thanks for asking. How is everyone?"

Yusuke looked at the demon in front of him and sighed lightly. "Nothing is the same without you around. We all miss you. We are all good... but just sick with missing you."

Hiei nodded and looked down, twirling his fingers together. "Yeah... well I miss you all too. Even the oaf."

Yusuke smiled as he mentioned Kuwabara. "He said that he was sorry that he couldn't come tonight. His mom isn't doing too good and he wanted to stay with her. He did say that he would be here next week to see you. He misses you too. He is too proud to admit it but hey, we all can see it."

"How is Yukina?" Hiei asked. Yusuke and Kurama were the only ones that knew that he was her brother and he had sworn them both to secrecy about it. "She still in the dark about me?"

Yusuke nodded. "Yes, she still doesn't know about you," he said. "But I think you should tell her. She seems to be depressed about not being able to see you when the others visit. She even misses Kurama."

Hiei frowned. "She hasn't seen Kurama?"

Yusuke shook his head. "No one has. We have called him and he has kept on telling us that he would drop by soon, but that still hasn't happened. To tell you the truth... I don't think that Trish has either."

"What happened?"

"Trish said that they hit a mutual wall in their relationship," he explained. "Said that they had been drifting apart for a while, but was just trying to do everything she could to keep them together... but to no avail. Trish actually started looking for a new guy recently."

Hiei looked down. "It was because of me being in here, wasn't it?"

Yusuke shrugged his shoulders. "I can't say for sure. But we all miss you and every one is struggling without you... I can see that it had a small part in it. But there was other things going on with those two. Tonya said once that they were almost avoiding each other it seemed."

Hiei frowned, what could have driven a wedge in that relationship? Unfortunately, before he got a chance to ask, the door behind them opened and Yusuke stood up from his chair. "See you next week, Hiei. Hang in there."

"Thanks Yusuke," he said as the boy walked out of the room and the door closed behind him. He sighed heavily and shook his head. He leaned forward and covered his face with his hands, curious to see if there were any more. He rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his hair. He stood up and rubbed his hands together, it was cold in this room... but he didn't get cold... he shook his head and looked around. Was his energy so low that even he was feeling the effects of the cold?

The door opened behind him and he turned to look. There stood Kurama with a smile on his face. "Hey, Hiei."

Kurama... he looked different somehow... he couldn't place it. He smiled lightly and walked over to the fox, who met him halfway with a overjoyed chuckled. "Man it is so good to see you!"

"You too fox," Hiei said as they parted, but he still couldn't place the oddness that he could see somehow. They sat at the table and Hiei folded his arms on the table. He glanced at the mirrors and shook his head. He unfolded his arms and laid his hands flat on the table. "How you been?"

"I'm good," he said and smiled lightly. "Mother says hello."

Hiei frowned. "You told her where I was?" he asked. She didn't know about him that much, and the last thing he wanted her to think was that he was a bad influence on her son.

"Not exactly..." he said. "I told her that you were out of town and that you had invited me to meet some of your family. A sister to be exact."

Hiei groaned. And now yet another person that knew about his sister. "You had to tell her about my sister?"

Kurama smiled. "I didn't tell her a name, and it's not exactly gonna be a lie. I do know her... so... I can feel a bit better about the lie."

"What happened with you and Trish?" he asked, having not had the chance to ask the detective earlier.

Kurama sighed lightly and knew that for a fact that Yusuke had been here. "We grew apart. I thought that my feelings for her were genuine, but... they just weren't."

Hiei frowned. "There is someone else?"

Kurama figured that he could give him something... "Yes, there is. But I don't know if that person feels the same way about me."

Hiei shook his head. "You two were perfect... what really happened, Kurama?"

Kurama flinched, that wasn't obviously the best way to drop a hint. "Well.. I told you... I have feelings for someone else... and Trish... she noticed that before I did."

Hiei looked down. "That person must really be something to take your eyes and heart off of Trish."

"I would agree, because I thought that Trish was the one... but she discovered that my feelings that I felt for her... weren't exactly for her. She knew for a while... and she even helped me realize them. She wants me to tell... but... I just don't know how."

Hiei smirked. "I am going to give you the same advice you gave me about Tonya... Just tell her."

Kurama chuckled lightly. "That's where the problem lies, Hiei. It's not a her that I have to tell."

Hiei's eyes widened. A guy? He shook his head and then stopped. "Fine, then... just tell HIM."

Kurama took a deep breath and was about to admit everything, but the door opened behind him and he jumped lightly. He sighed lightly and placed his hand over Hiei's. "I promise you now... I will tell him. Very soon."

"See you around, Kurama," he said as Kurama walked out of the room, stopping before he crossed the threshold to glance back at him. He lifted his hand to wave goodbye and sighed heavily as he was ushered out of the room.

The door closed behind Kurama and the guard that ushered him out with a loud clank. Hiei sighed heavily and wondered, who else there could possibly be... but the door behind him opened instead. He looked down and then sighed as he stood up, putting his wrists up and waited to be cuffed. Granger walked into the room and cuffed him. He took him by the arm and guided him out of the room. Hiei looked down. He hadn't expected that many visitors and had to thank Koenma the next time that he saw him. He needed the pick me up that his friends and girlfriend had given him.

"You did well, Hiei," Granger said to him as they stood on opposite sides of Hiei's cell. Granger unlocked the cuffs and locked the door. "Keep up the good behavior and your sentence will fly by quicker than you think."

Hiei smirked and knew that he had a chance to speak his mind. "Kinda hard to do something wrong when I am in here all by myself."

Granger smiled and looked at him. "I will look at your file and see what I can do about getting you some books to read or something. Have any prefrenses?"

Hiei looked at the man and smiled lightly. "Not really. My friend told me to have an open mind when it came to reading... anything would be better that way."

Granger smiled. "I am beginning to like you, Hiei. My wife says that all the time. I will ask her if she has anything that might suit your fancy."

Hiei smiled lightly. "Thanks, Chief."

Granger laughed at the name and laughed as he walked away from the cell. Hiei sat on the bed and thought about his future here. If he had some books, maybe that might help him keep occupied a bit, but then.. his thoughts drifted to Kurama. He hadn't expected to hear that Kurama had broken up mutually with Trish because he was gay. That was a ringer that he hadn't been prepared for. But he shook his head. Maybe next time they would be able to talk a little bit more about that. He wanted to know about the man that could have torn his eyes from Trish. He had loved her and he had admitted it out loud several times. And they seemed like they were going to get married and settle down... but... then... BOMBSHELL! Who was this man? Hiei knew that his mind was going to torment him for the next week or two until he saw the fox again. Oh, well... maybe Granger would keep his word and get him some books. Hiei leaned back against the pillow and sighed lightly. Perhaps he was right... his time here would go quickly and maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He closed his eyes and smiled as he recalled his visits. He looked forward to the time that he might get a chance to have some privacy with them and ask even deeper questions. And maybe even a little chance with Tonya.

Hiei frowned as he thought about Tonya. He knew that Trish and Tonya were really close, and wondered why she hadn't told him about the break up. His train of thought, however, drifted once again, to the fox and his admission of being gay. The thought was kinda amusing. He wondered if the Youko within was the main reason for that, for it was well known that Youko Kurama really liked his partners to be male. He smirked, he was just glad that he had been able to steer clear of the youko years ago. He didn't exactly avoid the fox, just tried to the best he could, because he had had male partners before. He just didn't like them to control him. That is why he turned to women, they didn't control, they were the controlled. But the thought of Kurama being gay struck his insides. Perhaps one day... just maybe... he might have a chance to taste that alabaster skin that seemed quite dull today.

Hiei sat up with a frown. That is what it was. His once bright skin that seemed to attract the sun, seemed to repel it today. It was duller than usual and that was unlike the fox. He had always taken such good care of himself, priding himself in taking a shower every morning, dressing to impress even though it was just friends. His frown deepened as he thought about the way the fox had hugged him. It was tighter than he had ever hugged him before. Was he loosing his edge... or was he just imagining things because he hadn't seen any of them for a few months?

))_))_

The End of Chapter Four: Visitors Welcome. I hope you enjoyed. I know... kinda sappy and short but hey... I am only human. Please leave your comments and reviews and requests and I look forward to reading them. The next chapter will have a quick part about the next visit Hiei gets, but then it is going to jump ahead a bit so... you've been warned. So ta ta for now.


	5. Chapter 5: Surpirses In Store

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line and the few original characters. Now... I don't like to see my favorite character behind bars so this chapter will be skipping ahead a bit. I wont be leaving anything important out, but I will be jumping forward. So... I give you Chapter Five: Surprises in store. **_

))_))_

The week flew by for Hiei. Granger had indeed kept his word and had gotten his privileges expidited and now he had a few books a week. He went through then rather quickly, but he reread them twice, he had nothing else better to do. At least they were able to keep his mind off the distracting images that flashed through his mind. Kurama hadn't told him who the true love of his life was and Hiei was going mad with not knowing. The next time he saw him, he was going to get the answer. And he didn't care how he had to do it.

"Hiei," Granger said as he appeared at the bars of his cell. "You've got visitors."

Hiei smiled and took the position to be transported. Granger escorted him down the hallway to the secluded visiting rooms and when he got there Granger opened the door. He seen Tonya already sitting at the table, watching as Granger took the cuffs from his wrist. Hiei walked into the room and the door closed behind him. Tonya stood up and gave him a quick hug... but there was something off. What was he missing out there while he was stuck in his cell? He frowned as the two of them sat down at the table.

"I can feel something going on with you, Tonya... What's wrong?" Hiei asked, his hands sitting on top of hers.

She smiled faintly and sighed heavily. "It's hard... so hard that you are in here, hun. I just..."

Hiei frowned and looked at her. "What's wrong, babe?"

She sniffled lightly, "I don't want this... Hiei. I thought I could do it..."

Hiei flinched... was she about to break up with him? After such a good week, his high hopes seemed to crash down to the ground and shatter at his feet. "What do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

"Hiei, I love you, so much... but the distance... it's too much..." she cried lightly. "I just can't do it... I have to focus on my life... and I can't do that if I am thinking about you in this forsaken place all the time... I haven't gotten a good nights sleep since you have been in here... I'm just... exhausted."

Hiei watched her tears fall to the table. "I never meant to make this hard for you, Tonya. I really didn't."

She nodded as she looked at him. "I... have a confession."

He nodded and waited for her to continue... but what he heard hurt more than he was ready and willing to take.

"I have been seeing someone else for a few days... and I can't split my time between the two of you," she said softly. "I love you, Hiei and I always will... But I just can't do this anymore."

"I understand, Tonya. I do," he said lightly, the pain in his chest burning like a knife sticking out. "I want you to be happy. And I know that it can't be with me. So.. Who is he?"

Tonya blushed. "Actually, her name is Daphne. She's a horse breeder from out of town and she has used one of her horses as a stud. She wanted to keep a close eye on the mare that bears her future colt and... well we hit it off."

Hiei blinked as a smile crossed his face. "So tell me, you have turned lesbian on me? Come on.. I asked for a threesome with another woman and the idea almost sickened you."

She chuckled lightly. "I can't help it, Hiei. She was... WOW."

Hiei smiled, and the pain went away. He didn't feel so bad about the break up that had just happened. He smiled and occasionally chuckled as Tonya went on about her new girl and he couldn't help but wonder if he would see Kurama and hear good news from him as well. "I hope we can stay friends."

She nodded brightly. "I am counting on it. I will always care about you, but just not like I once did."

As the guards came and escorted her out, Hiei gave her a quick hug and wished her luck on her new found path, and she promised to come and see him soon. She went out of the room and Hiei stretched lightly. He really DIDN'T feel bad about what had just happened. He had always thought that there was something missing for her. He could see it in her eyes when they would spend time together. He was glad that she found someone new... for he knew that he couldn't keep her happy while he was in here.

The guards came in with another visitor and Hiei smiled lightly to see Kurama standing there. With his skin looking fresh and renewed Kurama gave him a hug and patted his back. "How ya been?"

They sat across the table from each other and told him that he had gotten a lucky break from Granger and smiled at the glass window to their right. "I am thankful that he was able to bring me some books to occupy my time."

Kurama smiled as he watched Hiei turn to him and smile lightly. "So. I heard that there was something that happened with Tonya... something... unexpected."

Hiei smirked. "Still talking to Trish, huh? Yea... she just told me about another woman in her life that she was interested in. I told her to be happy and that we could still be friends."

Kurama smiled. "Kind of just like me and Trish. Funny."

Hiei looked at him and took the lead. "Spill it fox, did you tell him?"

Kurama blushed lightly and shook his head. "Not yet... I wanted to a while ago... but things prevented me from speaking my mind."

Hiei frowned at the tone in his voice. "You okay?"

Kurama nodded and smiled brightly. "I will be... in a minute. I have to tell you, Hiei..." Kurama paused... unsure once again that he should speak from his heart. "I still don't know if he reciprocates my feelings. And that scares the hell out of me."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Just tell him. You pushed and pushed until I asked Tonya out. And now I am going to do the same. JUST TELL HIM."

Kurama nodded and smirked slyly. "As you wish... Hiei the man that my feelings are for is you."

Hiei froze and blinked. He stared at the fox in front of him and thought that he had heard incorrectly. He felt Kurama's hands cover his own and he looked down at them. "Me? Wh... I.. I don't understand."

Kurama sighed lightly. "I didn't at first either, Hiei. But Trish push me until I finally did know for sure. That I would rather spend a few minutes a week with you, than a lifetime with anyone else. Even Trish. It's you, Hiei, you are the one that I want."

Hiei looked down, knowing that his silence was going to be interpreted as a rejection... but his mind couldn't think... he couldn't form any words to say to the fox. He looked up and seen those beautiful green eyes staring back at him and it clicked. He smiled lightly. Kurama smiled back and knew that Hiei understood.

"Why wait so long to tell me, why not before the guards ushered you out so quickly?" he asked.

Kurama shook his head. "It was my plan to tell you then... but the guard standing behind me made me hesitate. It's bad enough that I just admitted everything in front of the warden over there."

Hiei smirked and glanced sideways at the two way mirror, where he knew that Granger was getting his earful. He smiled as he turned back to Kurama, his hands curling around Kurama's slender fingers. "If only times were different. I would have reacted differently, rather, DONE something different..."

Kurama blushed at the implications behind Hiei's words. He was curious what Hiei wanted to do. But he knew the rules and Hiei knew them too. He knew that there was no type of contact like that allowed. Hiei chuckled lightly and watched the color rise in Kurama's cheeks.

"I always thought it funny," he said.

"Found what funny?" Kurama asked, confused at the turn of conversation.

"Funny how a simple statement with a hidden meaning could make even the toughest of people blush," he said and smirked. "Even now... your cheeks are getting redder and redder the more I say."

Kurama could feel that his face was on fire. But there was more that Hiei had to say. He needed to hear Hiei say more. And as if reading his mind, Hiei continued. "You were afraid that your feelings wouldn't be returned, once they were admitted. You were foolish. You are special, Kurama. You always have been. And always will be."

Kurama felt tears pooling at the corners of his eyes as he smiled back at the Fire demon before him. "You... you have the same feelings?"

Hiei smiled and looked down at their entwined fingers. "I wouldn't have risked my freedom for any random person, Kurama. Not when I would have lost any chance that I had to know you in a whole other light."

Kurama chuckled lightly. "I wouldn't have died forever, Hiei. I would have gone back to the Demon World."

"And left Shiori behind to suffer with grief," he said and tightened his fingers around Kurama's. "I hate to see people suffer on my account. Me not stepping in would have put your death in the Human World on my hands, so to speak. And I would have seen what she went through. I would have felt guilty about it, and she would see that I was there. She would know that I was possibly there and hadn't done anything to stop what could have happened. And that is something that I cannot live with. And I doubt that you would have been able to either."

Kurama looked at him. "You have come to care about her, even though she is suspicious of you."

Hiei nodded. "Everyone is suspicious of me, always have been, therefore, I cannot hold it against her in any way."

Kurama smiled. "You have changed, Hiei. You need to stop it, right now."

Hiei frowned. "What? What are you talking about? I haven't changed."

Kurama nodded with a chuckle. "Yes you have... you were so closed. You didn't share anything about anything and frankly... it is a new trait for you that I am not very fond of."

Hiei shook his head. "So you want me to stay the way I was? The selfish, self centered little punk that I was?"

Kurama nodded. "Where is the fun in it, if I can't dig to get my information. I am a fox, I love a challenge... and you were always my favorite challenge."

Hiei smirked. A challenge. That was interesting. He heard the door open behind Kurama and frowned. Kurama looked down with a heavy hearted sigh and refused to move. "I don't want to go..."

Hiei stood up across from him and pulled him to his feet. Walking around the table, he pulled the fox into a gentle hug, and Kurama wrapped his arms around the demon's waist. He buried his head into Hiei's shoulder, mumbling something that only Hiei could hear. Hiei smiled and tightened his hold before he seen the guard approach behind Kurama. Kurama decided he wasn't going to get another chance and pulled back slightly, only to lean in and kiss Hiei. Hiei's eyes flashed at the gesture, one that was against the rules. He wanted to pull away... but he simply couldn't. Kurama did though. He smiled lightly and kiss his cheek before pulling out of Hiei's arms and was escorted out of the room. Hiei stood there, knowing that he had broken a rule... hoping that Granger was checking his voice mail on the other side of the glass. He looked down... he might lose the chance to see him again...

"Come, on, Hiei," Granger said behind him as he opened the door. "This still isn't a congical visit."

Hiei frowned and knew that anyone and everyone that was on the other side of the glass had seen, and that many people weren't going to let him get away with it. He held out his wrists to Granger and was cuffed and escorted back to his cell. He sighed heavily and looked down as Granger closed and locked the door behind him. Granger seen him and smirked.

"I said before, your good behavior will get you far in this place," Granger said to him and Hiei turned to face the man. "I think my staff and I can overlook that whole scene. As long as you can try to resist the temptations."

Hiei felt heat rise in his cheeks as he stared at the man. "I... don't get it. I broke a rule, and you are going to overlook it?"

Granger smiled. "Young love, Hiei. Very special. Very strong. I can understand that he couldn't resist. And I am just hoping that in the future you can try to keep temptation at bay. I told you before. If you behave here, you will get far."

With that, Granger turned and walked away, leaving Hiei standing there blushing as he recalled the feeling of Kurama's lips to his own. He smiled as he walked to his bed. He leaned back and thought back on his visit with the fox, that was one that he would remember for the rest of his life.

))_))_

Over the next year and a half, Hiei hit his two year mark and Granger appeared at his cell one morning. The oversized man smiled down at Hiei and watched as the small demon sat up in bed, throwing his legs over the side of his bed. "It's Tuesday, Granger. You don't normally come to visit me unless it is Friday."

Granger chuckled, causing his large belly to rumble and ripple, as he seen Hiei stand up and walk to the bars. "Today is a special day for us all, it seems."

Hiei frowned as he wrapped his hands around the bars and leaned into them, a habit as of late when talking to either Koenma, the guards, or else Granger. "Why is today special?"

The warden smiled. "I know that you have been keeping track of how long you have been in here, Hiei. Today is a special day. How long have you been in here?"

"Two years, one month, and thirteen days," Hiei stated flatly. "What about it?"

Granger smiled. "Your behavior has impressed me and the ones above my head. They have decided to give you a greater reward than just letters, books and mementos from your friends and loved ones. They have left me with a choice to grant you something that I know you have been looking forward to."

Hiei looked at him and a faint smile crossed the demon's lips. Could it be? Granger smiled down at him. "I think you can be trusted enough to visit your friends and loved one unsupervised."

"You trust me?" Hiei asked, slightly surprised that the warden that was once so strict with him, was starting to grow soft. "What on earth did I do to earn that?"

Granger smiled and reached into his coat pocket. "These are the rules and guidelines that pertain to the congical visits. They are pretty much the same, but your trust is the main ingredient."

Hiei took the paper that Granger handed him through the bar and opened it up to read it. He came to two specific guidelines that made him smile. "Visitors have up to two hours? I never knew that."

Granger smiled. "Each prisoner's visits are different. Seeing that your friends come back EVERY single Friday, I was able to request a little bit longer time for you. But I have a feeling that you are interested in something else on that paper."

"Any day and time that the visitor has requested?" Hiei read and looked up into Granger's smiling face. "You put that in there too?"

This time the warden shook his head. "Natural guideline. It is all about trust you know. So if trust is established, then the visitors may come during the three scheduled days and only in between the times indicated."

Hiei smiled as the warden nodded to the demon and smiled lightly. "I hope that you do not disappoint me Hiei. You have been an example of the perfect prisoner... except for that one little incident..."

"That wasn't my fault," Hiei snapped. "Hakanaru was responsible for that, and I was merely defending myself."

"I know, but I can't make an exception... not even for you," Granger said. "I do regret having to reduce your energy levels to nothing... but hey... you are not the only one in here with one of those on."

Granger pointed to Hiei's right wrist. There was a large metal cuff with a tiny little key pad for a code to be punched in. Granger was the only one who could remove it, but Hiei wasn't concerned with that. Maybe it was for the best, for his restlessness had somewhat gone down a few notches. He was able to sleep at night without waking up several times during the night to pace until he felt calm enough to sleep again.

"And besides, it was supposed to go on when you first got here," Granger said. "But I could see the remorse written on your face after a few days and figured that you wanted to get out of here as soon as you could."

"I still do want to get out of here," Hiei said flatly. "Not that you are the reason."

Granger laughed and turned to leave. "Your extended visits will not start until later next week, so your visiting on Friday will be still be only fifteen minutes each."

Hiei groaned. "And you had to give this to me now?!"

Granger snickered. "I figured that would give you something to write to him."

Hiei turned his face away as he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He sighed heavily and then watched the warden walk away. Extended and unsupervised visits. That WAS something to talk about with his friends later this week. He sat down on the bed and reached under his pillow. He pulled out the pad of paper that the warden had given him several months ago and the pen that was attached to it. He began to write down his thoughts to one person in particular.

))_))_

Shiori seen a letter in the mail a few days later and smiled as she read the name. She had finally pried the information out of her son the moment she first saw the names on the letters. They had come from a prison and she had demanded to know the truth. He had told her that the mugging that had happened a while back was a bit more than that. He had told her that the mugger had shot him in the shoulder and showed her the scar. She was mortified that he had kept that much information from her. He explained that Hiei had struggled for the gun and it had fired again, killing the mugger by accident. He had been charged with murder for it, even though Kurama had the bruises and the gunshot wound to prove that it was only self defense, but the judge hadn't seen it that way. She was still uneasy with her son going to a prison to visit someone there... even if he was visiting his best friend. But he had told her that Hiei was defending him, and that he was only there because of him. And that he HAD to see him.

"Shuiichi!" Shiori called as she walked into the house. "Mail!"

Kurama appeared at the kitchen entrance and wiped his hands on a dishtowel as he frowned at her. "From who?"

Shiori frowned at him and held out the envelope. "Who do you think?"

Kurama smiled lightly as he walked over to her and took the envelope. "There is no way he got my letter yet..."

Shiori rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he wanted to say more than he did the last time."

Kurama chuckled lightly as he swept the towel over his shoulder. He ran his finger under the edge of the letter and pulled out the paper. He turned and walked to the kitchen to finish making the pot of tea and poured two cups as he read the letter...

"Dear Kurama, I got a visit from the warden this morning. I wanted you to be the first to know, and I wanted the information to come from me. Starting next week I will be granted extended and unsupervised visits. Granger told me that the Prison Head of Superintendents had thought that I had given them enough to trust me. I wasn't supposed to be granted this for another six months. But I guess behaving in here does have an upside."

He smiled lightly as he walked into the living room with his mother's cup of tea. She smiled and thanked him as she took her cup, noticing that his eyes hadn't left the letter in his hand. She watched as he turned away and walked back into the kitchen, sitting at the table with his own cup as he continued with his letter. She smiled lightly and wondered how long she was going to keep a certain truth from her. She knew that her son had feelings for the boy behind bars, and she guessed that the feelings were returned, for the moment the first letter came, and the truth about Hiei came out, he had torn open the letter and smiled as he read the whole page.

Kurama smiled as he read the rest of Hiei's letter, learning very quickly that the extended and unsupervised visits meant that his mail wasn't being read anymore. For he was going into detail about things that was blacked out on the letters before. He smiled.

"I am looking forward to spend some quality time with you, Kurama. I am going to ask Yusuke and the others to keep to a certain DAY. I don't think I can manage extra days and time with them... fifteen minutes is sometimes more than I can handle. But you... I will definitely look forward to two full hours behind closed doors with. I look forward to holding you in my arms. Being able to hold you without the guards coming in to stop me. I miss you so much right now. But I know that I deserve to be here. I still wouldn't change what I did. I never will. I love you too damned much to let someone take you from me. I look forward to seeing you on Friday. I am hoping that I get a response to this. And I want details... don't be shy... for the letters that we write are no longer being read. I want to read what you have in mind for us... - Forever yours, Hiei."

Kurama smiled lightly as he felt the heat begin to rush to his cheeks. He had to stand up and turn away, the letter still in hand. Hiei had requested that he write him a dirty letter? No... a dirty letter was a huge understatement. Hiei BOLDLY requested him to describe in detail... wow, the thoughts were endless. He smirked and looked at the letter again before he folded it up and returned it to the envelope. This was going to be fun. Youko was going to have fun with this. He smiled lightly as he picked up his cup and walked into the living room to finish his studies for the night. Shiori still believed that he was going to college. He had dropped out when one of his Plant Biology papers was given a failing grade. He was outraged with the teacher and had told him that he didn't know what the hell he was talking about. Kurama knew plants, and he knew what they could do. The foolish teacher would never understand the true things that the plants that he deemed harmless could do with just a touch of demon energy. He folded his legs underneath him and placed the Biology book on his lap, and the pad of paper on top of it. He smiled and turned to a new page.

"Responding to his letter already, huh?" Shiori said sarcastically as she flipped the page of her magazine.

Kurama frowned and looked up to her. "Not just yet. I still have a paper to write."

"Sure ya do," she said flatly and glanced at her magazine again. "So how is he doing?"

Kurama smiled lightly. "He is good. Got some news from the warden today and wanted to tell his friends himself, before the warden decided to call and tell everyone."

"What kind of news?" she asked looking up at him.

Kurama groaned lightly, wishing that she wouldn't have asked. "Just that his visits would be extended, that's all. It was only fifteen minutes before. But now he was granted thirty minutes."

She smiled lightly. "That's good. Fifteen minutes isn't very much time."

Kurama nodded lightly. "I know... but hey... the rules are set for a reason. And who are we to judge them?"

Shiori looked at the phone as it rang, she answered it on the second ring. "Yes, this is the Minamino household... yes he is... just a minute," she held out the cordless phone. "It's for you darling."

Kurama sighed heavily and sat his books to the side and reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Kurama, it's Koenma," the voice said. "I wanted to call and give you some news. It's about Hiei..."

"I actually already know," he replied lightly. "Yeah, he told me about that already."

"Hiei told you that he was granted extended visits?" Koenma asked. "No one else was told, you were the third person I called. Yusuke said that the last letter or call that he had gotten from him was about a week ago."

"Well, I just found out myself," Kurama said and Shiori smiled lightly at him. "But I had figured that he would have told them too... I guess he didn't get the chance."

"I guess not, either that or else he didn't want anyone else to know about it," Koenma suggested, a deeper meaning behind his words. "But how am I to say who he tells or not?"

Kurama chuckled lightly. "I'm sure there was a better reason than that, sir."

"Well, since you already know, I am sure he gave you the schedule," Koenma said. "So I guess I will see you later then."

"Yes, sir, I will talk to you later," Kurama said. "Alright... bye."

Shiori took the phone from Kurama and hung it back on the charger. She looked at her watch and smiled. "I have to get ready for work. I have to work a double tonight. Will you be alright by yourself tonight?"

Kurama nodded. "Yes, mother, I will lock the doors behind you."

She smiled and stood up from the couch and walked to the other room to get ready for work. Kurama smiled lightly and waited until his mother walked out of the house. He locked the doors and turned on one of the lights in the living room and settled down on the couch with an excited sigh. He smiled as he took the pad of paper and began to write.

"You wanted smutty details," Kurama said as he signed the letter. "You got smutty details."

With that, he put a stamp on the outer envelope and used his energy to send it to the Demon World. It would reach Hiei by tomorrow and he smiled to think how Hiei would react to his words. He wondered what he would reply. The thoughts sent shivers down his spine. He turned out the lights and went to bed, hoping and praying that his words weren't TOO BOLD...

))_))_

End of Chapter Five: Surprises in Store. Hope you liked. So... please leave your comments and your reviews and any requests that you might have and I look forward to hear from all of you. So hope you enjoyed and will continue to enjoy as the rest of the story progresses. So until then... ta ta for now.


	6. Chapter 6: Talk Dirty To Me

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line and the few original characters. Now... if you were waiting for the story to get juicy... then your wait is FINALLY over. This chapter is mainly going to be a few letters back and forth to Hiei and Kurama before they get a chance to act on either of their words. The days in the Demon world move alot slower than the Human World, so... like Tuesday in the Demon World is like Thursday in the Human World. So letters can be sent out and delivered the same day. Don't ask me how that works... just does in this story okay... SO now without further delay... I give you Chapter Six: Talk Dirty To Me...**_

))_))_

Hiei smiled as the guard handed him two sealed envelopes, thanking him as he walked away. Kurama's name was printed at the top and he sighed lightly as he ran his ringer under one of the envelopes. He smiled as he read the short letter. It was a reply to his earlier letter asking if Tonya and Trish was alright since they hadn't been up to visit him lately. Kurama told him that Trish was out of town visiting relatives and spending time with her new guy. They were to be coming back in a few weeks, and that she would most likely visit when she got back. Tonya on the other hand, wasn't able to come in, considering that she was pregnant with twins and was having a difficult time with the pregnancy. She was alright, but the babies were making her really dizzy and sick lately, and doctors had told her to take it easy.

Hiei nodded as he sat that letter to the side, frowning, wondering what this one was. It was also from Kurama. But then he smiled... he couldn't have written back so quickly... he just sent the letter yesterday... unless Kurama used his energy to send it to the Demon world were he would get it within a few hours. Hiei smiled as he opened the letter and leaned back against the wall as he started to read. He knew what this letter was... and was looking forward to reading it...

_Dear, Hiei. I am only writing this to you, because it was a direct request from you... I love you too Hiei, and I look forward to the time that I get to do all that I describe here. I look forward to more time with you. Alright, you wanted smut, I will give you smut. I am warning you now... the Youko is more responsible for this than me... but I want this as much as he does. _

_I will run my hands over your shoulders as I draw you in close for a kiss. I will devour you, take your breath from your very lungs until you are gasping for breath. As you are gasping for the very air I took, I will trace kisses down your cheek, then to your neck, where I would nip and bite until you call out, pain or pleasure, it will not matter to me. Just to hear your voice tearing from your tender lips when I bite you will be the greatest sound ever heard. Your shirt will slide off your shoulders, as my slender and talented fingers trace their way down your back. Only once your shirt has been carelessly discarded behind us, will my nipping teeth leave your throat, only to trace down the tone muscles of your chest. Only to stop to tease each nipple until that delicate voice is shuddering above me. Once your shivers begin to radiate through your skin, you will feel the cold of a wall as I pin you there, arms held to the side as you look at me in wonder. But you will not know.. you will never know what I have planned for you. For that is it, our time is up, and I am forced to leave you... panting and wanting more. _

_There is more to this story, my love. But only if I hear you beg for it. Until later, my love. - Eternally yours, Kurama. _

Hiei blinked and turned the page... That sneaky fox! How dare he! Hiei groaned and looked at the page again. He did have to admit... he was willing to beg for more. If that was all he was going to get... this couldn't be it...

Hiei sighed lightly and wrote back to the fox, the guards laughing lightly at the frequency of the letters. Granger handed the Fire Demon's letter to the mail carrier and smiled as he was curious to know what was so urgent with them that Hiei HAD to have that mailed immediately. Hiei sat back in his bed and smiled lightly as he reread the letter that Kurama had given him, knowing that if Kurama received the letter by tomorrow in the Human World, then he would have a response by Thursday. He smiled. Knowing that he NEEDED that second letter to come back. He had begged for more. He wasn't ashamed to admit it either. He wanted Kurama. And he wanted Kurama to do EVERYTHING that was written.

))_))_

Kurama snickered as he read Hiei's letter.

_Dear Kurama, _

_You sneaky shit! How dare you get to a good part, and then just stop! You want me to beg, then I will beg. Kurama you HAVE to finish that letter! And I DO NOT mean just another little tidbit! I want to read it all! I want you to finish that statement, or else I will refuse your visitations! Do you hear me, fox. I am not playing around with you! I HAVE to HAVE the ending. You can't do that to me. Not now that you have started. Your letters are the only thing I really look forward to in here, and if you want me, then give me that simple pleasure of knowing EXACTLY what you WANT to do._

_I am still pissed that you did that, fox. That was really mean. Give me the ending that I am looking for. And maybe, just maybe, I will LET you do all that you say. Or maybe I will do it all to you. Who knows. Give me the ending and I will decide that when the time comes. And as I said before, love... DO NOT BE SHY. I love it when you talk dirty. It is a real turn on. And I look forward to seeing you on Friday. I love you._

_- Forever pissed, Hiei._

Kurama chuckled at the end. He was sure that Hiei would never beg him. Never beg him for ANYTHING and certainly not for a smutty ending. He smiled as he sat down with a pad of paper. Alright, he wanted an ending to what Kurama wanted, then Kurama was going to give him exactly what he asked for. Hiei didn't want him to be shy about anything, so he wasn't. He had held back in his last letter, letting the mood set in, but now... he was going to give the smart ass fire demon exactly what he asked for.

))_))_

Friday morning, Kurama smiled as he held his letter in hand, it was three pages long. Hiei had wanted EVERYTHING and now... he was going to get it. Kurama had stayed up most of the night, going through scenario after scenario to get the letter just right. Kurama knew that Hiei was going to get off on this letter, because he had gotten off himself while rereading it to make sure that it was perfect. With his smut in hand and dressed to impress, Kurama headed to the Demon World to visit with Hiei, having to wait, for Yusuke had stopped in that morning and was visiting with him when he got there. Granger was in the hall and smiled as he seen Kurama sigh as he leaned against the wall.

"Hey there," he said as he walked up to the red head. "Visiting again?"

"Of course," Kurama replied and smiled to the warden. "Umm... I was wondering... could I have a few more minutes with him today?"

Granger chuckled and looked at the boy. "You know... I have seen prison romances start. But never once have I stood witness to one that has blossomed the way that yours has with Hiei. I read his file and can see why you visited at first... but then... your admission made everything change. Hiei was reluctant at first, but your visits and letters have made him a joy around here."

Kurama smiled lightly. "I guess... but that doesn't answer my question. I know the rules clearly state that he is only allowed fifteen minutes... but I was hoping that maybe... an extra five, ten minutes more?"

Granger smirked and rubbed his chin. He was clearly thinking about letting him have it... but then an idea popped into mind. He only had three more days to wait until Hiei's extended visitation began...

"Ah, what the hell," Granger said. "An extra ten minutes won't hurt."

Kurama's eyes lit up as he smiled brightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much, sir."

Granger smiled at the boy and turned to the door. "Young love is always a wonderful thing. I fell in love very young myself, and I have been married for almost fifty years now. So I can't stand in the way of a budding relationship like yours."

))_))_

"See ya next week, Hiei," Yusuke said as he walked out of the door.

Before the door closed, Kurama was let in. Hiei looked up at the fox and smirked. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well well."

Kurama smiled lightly as he walked over and sat across from him at the table. "You said that you wanted to see me."

"I was hoping to get another letter from you before today," Hiei said sarcastically, his eyes narrowing at Kurama as he thought about the reply that he had written. "But I haven't received one."

Kurama smiled lightly and tossed the letter on the table. "I thought that you would like to get this one in person. Something to look forward to when you go back to your cell."

Hiei looked at the letter and then to Kurama. He reached out to take it, but Kurama slid it out of reach and folded his arms on the table. Hiei glanced at the letter sitting next to Kurama's elbow and then to the fox. "Still playing games, fox?"

Kurama smiled sheepishly and tilted his head slightly to the side. "I don't know what you are talking about, Hiei. I came to visit with you. Not give you the letter so that you could read it in front of me."

Hiei smirked and leaned on the table. "A verbal game of chess as always, Kurama. But to me, it seems that your rook has been taken and your king has been left unprotected."

Kurama chuckled lightly as he crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. "But you must remember, Hiei. My queen is still in play. And it always will be. As long as you play my game, my queen will always take your king."

Hiei snickered, but the action was more to cover the shiver that ran down his spine. "You think you are so clever, don't you, Kurama. But remember that as long as there is one pawn still on the board, any piece can come back into play."

"A pawn is useless to me," Kurama stated flatly. "As my queen only wants the king."

Hiei smirked. "I love it when you talk dirty."

Kurama smiled lightly. "You started it."

"Of course I did," Hiei said and smirked as he glanced at the letter. "I requested more than what was given. Did you reply with something adequate this time?"

Kurama slid the envelope back farther from Hiei's reach and watched as the fire demon glared at him. "You will have to wait and see for yourself."

"You suck," Hiei said and crossed his arms as he leaned back. "And you know it."

Kurama nodded lightly and decided to change the subject. "I was talking to Koenma last week. He said that the board of superintendents was thinking about granting you a parole hearing."

Hiei nodded lightly. "I know. But they want to see how my unsupervised visits go before they make a final decision. But that is to be expected. I have only been in here for almost two and a half years. Even if my sentence was allowing parole possibilities, they wouldn't kick in until I have been here at least three and a half years. So a year to wait..."

Kurama looked down and sighed lightly. "If you do get a hearing, I hope that I can be there."

Hiei shook his head. "I don't know if they would allow something like that."

Kurama shrugged his shoulders and sighed lightly, hearing the door open behind him. Damn, even twenty five minutes went by too quickly. They stood up and hugged. Kurama hadn't gotten in trouble for kissing Hiei before, but he wasn't going to risk it now. He hugged him tightly, kissing him on the cheek and promising him that he would see him in a few days.

"Don't make promises to me, Kurama," Hiei said flatly. "Especially ones that you might not be able to keep."

"Koenma knows that I plan to visit you next week," Kurama said as he slid the envelope across the table. "He gave me that day off. And I told my mother that I was going to be here so, there is nothing to stop me from being here."

Hiei smiled lightly as he picked up the envelope. Kurama smiled lightly as he walked out the door. Hiei was taken back to his cell and he smiled as he sat on the bed, tearing Kurama's letter open the moment he was alone. Leaning against the wall he read.

_... As you are pinned to the wall, I smile as I kiss your lips, taking your breath that you have barely regained. You are gasping for air, but still, I refuse to leave your lips, my intent to claim every inch of you, whether you want it or not. I can feel your heart racing against my chest, and finally I release you, your gasps a harmony to my ears. As you fight to regain the air I have taken from you again, I release your arms, only to slide my hands down your hips. Your belt is ripped by the sharp edge of my fingernails as they slide down your hips.  
_

_I can hear the shreds of the belt hit the floor, music to my ears, for it was merely in my way to what I truly desire. Your hips are small in my hands, my thumbs able to touch each other as they hold you to the wall. A tender kiss is placed on your shoulder. You shiver, as my kiss lights your skin to a burning blaze. You are left in a shivering mess as my kiss trails lower to trace your abs. I have always admired those toned abs. You have always been fit, a sculpture of perfection, with a taste of spice. But the angle has to change for me. I bend and crouch, until I am on my knees in front of you, still quivering from my kiss as my hands slowly running down to your feet. As my tongue tastes every part of you, my skilled fingers take your shoes from your feet, leaving your tiny feet bare on the cold floor. _

_You hiss as the sharper edges of my nails drag up your legs, even over your pants your can feel their bite. Once to your waist, they dip into the waistband of your pants, traveling back down the same path from which they came. You shiver as the coldness in the room hits your bare skin, but there is one part of you that is still aflame. That object of my desire, a mere inch from my face, and I cannot resist, I reach out my tongue to lick, causing you to groan. Your voice is rugged, but sill a beautiful symphony to my ears as I take you into my mouth, earning more than a single groan, instead, a long, drawn out cry... one of long awaited pleasure to feel the heat of me surrounding you. _

_I hear my name on your lips as I tease, the sound enchanting causing me to suckle harder. Your voice grows louder as my actions drive you to the edge, that edge of sweet bliss, you cry out as you wish to leap from that edge, wishing that I take you there. But before you are able to fly off the edge into sweet oblivion, I stop, I know your limits now. Your voiced objection goes unheard as my hands run up your inner thighs, scratching gently as I go. I can feel your knees tremble in my grasp, and I know that I must take things a different route. _

_Without further notice, you are swept off your feet and taken to the floor, laid on the cold floor where you gasp and arch your back to avoid the cold. This action alone is enough to bring you from the edge of ecstasy. Much to my satisfaction, you are there, laying naked below me, trembling with need, filled with desire, eyes glazed with lust. I smile down at you and claim your lips. Only then do you find the courage to run your hands under my shirt, forcing me to break the kiss long enough to discard the distraction. You reclaim my lips as your hands roam over my back, the roughness of your skin raising my desire more than before. Your courage has grown, for your hands find their way to my buttons of my jeans, unbuttoning them with extreme care, for your hands are still trembling. _

_I break apart from you, leaving you dazed and lustful. When I return, you feel nothing but skin, for the jeans were pulled off, leaving smooth skin to touch your heated skin. You groan as my hand finds your girth again, biting your lip as it tightens around it once more. You reach up and grasp my shoulders, pull me close and whisper my name as you find yourself near that edge again. But this time, I will let you go. I lean down and take you in my mouth, hearing your moans echo off the walls around us. Your hands tangle in my hair, the pressure a sign to me that you are close. As you get closer, your body writhing below me, you arch your back as your feel your climax coming closer. But this time, you feel pressure somewhere else. My free hand has found its way to your mouth, forcing its way inside, as your tongue closes around it, a groan tears from your throat at the attentions that I give you. _

_Too soon, my finger pulls from your mouth, leaving you breathing hard, as it travels down your chest to your stomach, until it turns and disappears below my mouth around your quivering member. You feel a pressure at your entrance.. a slight pressure until my finger presses in, earning a gasp and a tighter grip on my hair. I time my fingers thrusts with the pull of my mouth around you. Before long, I decided one finger isn't enough, therefore I add a second finger to your entrance, causing you to cry out and buck your hips, sending your cock deeper down my throat. Luckily, I know how to control my gag reflex, but it isn't enough still, you have yet to go over the edge, so a third finger is added. This has done the trick, for I feel you grow larger in my mouth, although I don't see how it was possible, and I quicken the thrusts of my fingers and I suck harder. Your groans echo off the walls and turn to soft cries, the echoes a melody of magical proportions for it has made my own body begin to tremble with upcoming release. You beg me to finish, but not alone. _

_You ask me to take us both over the edge together, and I am more than happy to oblige you. I remove my fingers, your cry a sad sound to my ears, and I remove my mouth, looking down at you, shivering and writhing below me. The sight is a beautiful masterpiece. No paintbrush could capture the image with any justice. I place myself between your open legs and lift your hips. You arch your back at the simple action, but it is not what you think. I lean down and wrap my arms around your back, your arms go instinctively around my neck for support as you are hoisted up to sit on my lap. With you holding on, I reach below you and guide myself into your tight entrance, stopping only to allow you to adjust to my size. You wince and I can see your eyes squeeze shut, I pause until I can feel you relax. I finish my plunge until my entire cock is buried to the hilt inside of you. You cry out as I hit your prostate, but the cry is one of pleasure. _

_As I begin to rock my hips against you, your cry turns to a moan and your head falls back as the edges of your vision is blurred with white. Your hands grip the back of my neck, your hips rocking against mine as we fall into a rhythm that would shatter the earth. The sound of our sweating bodies smacking against each other mix with the sweet sound of your cries as we climb the cliff of bliss. As we stand on that cliff our thrusts against each other have reached a pace that was once unknown to us. Your hands tighten on my neck, mine around your hips, as our lips meet in the middle, taking the last breathes that we have. When the stars begin to fall, our climax within reach, your back arches as your cries are ripped from your throat. I feel my release just over the edge, and we both take the plunge, both coming together, clinging to each other as if there was nothing holding us to this earth but the other. _

_Your breathing is labored, as is mine, as you lean you head against my forehead and look into my eyes. I love you you say to me and kiss me gently, your chest still heaving, trying to claim the air that seems to stay just out of reach. Your fear of me leaving will soon be put to rest, for at that moment, I pull your head to the side and sink my teeth deep into your neck, leaving my mark on you, permanently claiming you as mine. For foxes only mate once, and then it is forever. _

_**Forever**, my love. **That is my true desire**. I love you Hiei, never forget that. _

_- Forever Kinky, Kurama. _

Hiei let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding. HOLY SHIT THAT WAS HOT! That was not what he was expecting! He knew that the Youko was writing this, but the admission at the end was NEVER expected. Hiei smiled and grabbed the first letter. If this was what Kurama really wanted, then this was what Kurama was going to get.

))_))_

The End of Chapter Six: Talk Dirty To Me. Soooo I hope you liked. Damn that letter to Hiei was difficult. I mean writing it wasn't hard... but trying to make it sound like Kurama was the one writing it was pretty difficult. But I hope that it was good enough for all of you. Because I AM FLAMING! lol Please leave your comments and your reviews, I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time... ta ta for now.


	7. Chapter 7: Mine Forever

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the storyline and the few original characters. I hope that you have all enjoyed so far, that last chapter was a bit of a mouthful. I don't know how this next chapter is going to go, I just let my fingertips glide over the keyboard most of the time. But Kurama and Hiei will get their chance to be alone, away from prying eyes. What will happen next? Without Further delay... I give you Chapter Seven: Mine Forever.**_

))_))_

Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara had all discussed the schedule for Hiei's extended visitations when they all met up for lunch on Saturday. Hiei had asked them all to sit down and think of a schedule with themselves, because he didn't want anyone to be disappointed. Yusuke, who had school most of the week, had asked for Fridays. Kuwabara was unfortunately left with Mondays, because Kurama claimed dibs on Wednesdays. He wanted to be the peak for Hiei's week, and everyone knows that the best always happens in the middle. They would keep in touch with each other, and let one another know if they were not going to be able to come on their day. There was regular visitation, unsupervised but not as long on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a mere hour instead of two. Kurama smiled lightly as he sipped his tea that afternoon, thinking that he couldn't wait to see the look on Hiei's face.

"Hello! Anyone in there?" Yusuke snapped waiving his hand in front of Kurama's face, causing him to blink and shake his head as he returned from La La Land.

"What?" he asked, feeling like an idiot suddenly.

"Where did you go there for a minute Kurama? We have been talking to you for the last two minutes!" Kuwabara stated.

Kurama looked down and sighed lightly. "Just thinking. Sorry, what were you saying?"

Yusuke looked at him, "I was saying that I don't get why YOU get the middle of the week. You would think that you would want to begin the week, considering that Koenma makes you work weekends."

"By the middle of the week, I will have no work to do with Koenma, and by then, I will be able to visit without falling asleep on him," Kurama said, clearly a lie, for he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, as a familiar tightening in the pit of his stomach. "Why would you two care what day I wish to visit him on, anyways?"

"Again, you were spaced out when we were talking to you," Yusuke said. "We asked why you would request that we NOT attempt to visit on Wednesdays, after or before you."

Kurama smirked. "The reason is my own."

"Do you like him?" Kuwabara asked. "Cause to me it sounds like you want him all to yourself that day. Why else would you tell us not to come to visit him, any chance we had?"

Kurama sighed and figured that he might as well oblige the two youths, since they were already starting to ask too many questions, and that was the only reason he avoided them outside of work most of the time. Kurama sat his cup of tea down and looked from Yusuke to Kuwabara, both leaning on their elbows on the table waiting for him to answer.

"Hiei and I have been writing letters more frequently than you two have," Kurama started. "I know this, because he told me once that he only gets a letter from you guys twice a month. I write him every week. And in our letters, we have indeed started a relationship with each other. Even the warden knows about it, and you would think me going to see him EVERY Friday was some kind of hint to you two. We have technically been dating for a year and a half now."

Kuwabara's elbows gave out on him, and his head hit the table with a loud thud, before he slinked from his chair and hit the floor. Yusuke just blinked at him, shocked. Kurama and Yusuke ignored the rest of the cafe that was staring at Kuwabara on the floor, for their eyes were locked in a wordless mind game. Suddenly, Yusuke smiled.

"So that is why Hiei is in such a good mood all the time," Yusuke said with a chuckle. "I knew there had to be something more to you guys than just friendship. I mean, he did break his contract and saved your life... as you have saved his many times over the years."

Kurama smiled lightly. "I am not the only one responsible for his good mood, Yusuke. He gets a chance for parole one of these days and he is looking forward to it. The superintendents of the Prison are surprised with his progress, and with just a little bit of ass kissing from Koenma, they said that they would consider it, only if his extended visits go well."

Yusuke's smile grew as another thought came to mind, "You two make a good couple. But it is sad that you two only got fifteen minutes a week to visit."

Kurama smirked, knowing that Yusuke was digging for details. "Actually, sometimes I can talk the warden into a five or ten minute extension. Only if he is in a good mood though, you know how Granger can be sometimes."

Yusuke smirked. "So I take it the only reason you want Wednesdays all to yourself is so that you two can spend 'guality' time together."

Kurama frowned and shook his head at the detective. "Don't ask the questions for which you already know the answers, Yusuke. It is reasons of my own why I have requested the entire day with him. It was not only my request. Why do you think Hiei asked us all to sit down and figure out our days before his visitation started?"

Yusuke nodded, indeed it was an odd request that they all plan their visits. "I just figured he wanted to make sure that we didn't try to come at the same time and the other has to wait so long to see him."

"That is one reason, yes," Kurama said, thinking that it was best to end this conversation before he scarred the kid for life. "But there were other reasons for his request as well."

"Alright, I get it," Kuwabara said as he climbed back up and sat up on his chair, the other two barely noticing this. "You two are gay, and you want to be alone. Why didn't you two just say so in the first place?"

Yusuke smacked him upside the head, knowing Hiei would have done it if he had been here to hear that. The orange haired teen looked at him and balled up a fist at the detective. Yusuke merely held out his middle finger and gesture to the other teen. Kurama rolled his eyes, these two were so childish sometimes, it was a wonder they were about to graduate from High School at all. Maybe the guidelines and requirements have gone down since he went to that school, six years ago, almost.

"Enough you two," Kurama said as they had begun to bicker. "If this is all that is going to play out for the rest of lunch, then I am leaving."

Yusuke stuck his tongue out at Kuwabara and the orange haired teen growled back at him. Kurama shook his head and wondered if he should leave, he was suddenly feeling like he was the only adult at this table, and it seemed to wear him out. He leaned his head on his palm and shook his head. "No wonder half of the people in this town think that you two are a joke. You two can't even sit down for twenty minutes without bickering and arguing with one another. I understand that you are friends, and more rivals than anything, but you two need to grow up."

Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at one another, that was odd, Kurama had never snapped at them, or raised his voice like that. Not the actual volume of his voice, just the tone in which he spoke. It was darker, as if someone else was speaking and not the gentle red head sitting across from them. They swallowed as they looked at him. "Sorry, Kurama, didn't mean to upset you and all..."

Kurama lifted his head and sighed as he held a hand up looking at them both. "Now I can see what frustrates Keiko so much. I don't have time for this."

With that, Kurama sat the money for his meal on the table and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I do have better things to do, than sit in the middle of a cafe while you two bicker like two year olds."

He turned on his heel and walked out of the cafe, feeling more relaxed than anything. He sighed heavily as he looked around. The only question now... What to do with the rest of his week until Wednesday rolled around?

))_))_

The days started to fly for Hiei, first Monday came and went, a boring and more annoying conversation with Kuwabara. At the end of his visit, though, Kuwabara turned to him and told him that he was happy that he and Kurama had decided to bring their feelings to light and become a couple. He wished them luck and walked out of the room. Hiei blinked... Kurama had told them? How rude... but then again, why else would he be spending more and more time here with him than out there?

Tuesday came and went, only a letter from Trish and Tonya was received. They were wishing him happiness in his remaining days here. They were both still unable to come up to see him, but promised that they would visit as soon as they could. Hiei smiled, he wrote them back telling them both that they were welcome any time, except Wednesdays. That was Kurama's day and no one else was allowed to come. Kurama had made that clear apparently for his letter the other day was most amusing.

And then it came, Wednesday morning. Hiei sat in his cell, waiting for the guards to come as he reread the letter that Kurama had given him on the last visit. With a smile as the guard escorted him to a new area of the prison, Hiei wondered if Kurama would actually act on those words? Granger met him down one long corridor, a smile plastered on his face. Hiei looked away and groaned, as if it wasn't bad enough that Kuwabara and Yusuke knew... GRANGER KNEW!

Granger didn't unlock the door, just looked down at him, a smile on his face as he unlocked the cuffs on his wrists. Granger then pointed to a red light above the door. "When the light comes on, then it is a five minute warning. That means that time is almost up, so finish whatever it is that you two are doing."

Hiei groaned again, this time a blush was added to the mix. Granger chuckled lightly. "Do you honestly think that you are the ONLY relationship that has ever formed here? Not exactly, kid. Your is just one of many. There have been females that have swarmed the men here, there are even gays that come here. But yours is not one that is unfamilliar to anyone."

That statement seemed to make it worse for Hiei. He looked away and sighed heavily. "You're not helping."

Granger chuckled again. "I am saying, Hiei. That there is nothing to be ashamed of. You and your partner have waited a long time to get some quality time together. You should look at it as a sign of good things to come."

Hiei looked up at him. "That is better."

Granger threw his head back and laughed as he turned his key in the large door beside him. "I live to serve."

Hiei walked into the room, it was empty, save for a futon sitting in the corner as a couch, a small chair to add to the mix and a small round table. But no Kurama. Hiei growled lightly. Why was he always the first one in the rooms? He hated that. He shrugged his shoulders and walked to that tiny table, looked down at it and shook his head. Small enough for a dinner for two, or a card or board game, but not much else. The door opened behind him and he looked up. As he heard the door shut behind the fox he smiled lightly. "You're late."

Kurama shrugged his shoulders and took off his coat. "Sue me."

Hiei smirked and shook his head. "I had other things in mind besides that."

Kurama raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I take it you REALLY enjoyed my letter."

Hiei walked over and placed his hands on Kurama's face, and pulled him into a kiss. Kurama melted into his arms, his hands resting on Hiei's slender hips as he savored the kiss. Hiei pulled away and looked at him with a smile. "I have only three words about that letter of yours."

Kurama smiled and wrapped his arms around the smaller demon. "I love you too, Hiei."

Hiei smiled and shook his head. "That isn't the words that I was thinking of." Hiei let his hands tangle into Kurama's wild mane and held him there for a moment, as Hiei looked at him with a new look. "You. Are. Mine."

Kurama swooned, never thinking that Hiei would take his words seriously. He smiled at the demon and reached down to kiss him. Kurama knew that if he released the Youko, then there was a lot that they could do in two hours, but that wasn't what he wanted. He tightened his hold on Hiei as his kiss spread to his cheek, then his neck. He wanted to be Hiei's first. He knew that Hiei was no stranger when it came to bedding either female or male, but he wanted to be Hiei's first TRUE experience. One that was of true love, of real feelings, and not just a one night stand.

When they came up for air, Kurama smirked. "I take it, you are not going to let me do all those things to you."

Hiei shook his head. "Nope."

Kurama frowned, that wasn't fair. Hiei was planning something, and Kurama could read minds, therefore it made it hard for him to decipher the message on his partner's face. Hiei smiled lightly as he took several steps back, until he felt the futon at his knees. Kurama's eyes widened, as in one motion, Hiei had turned them around and had Kurama laying back against the soft cushion of the futon. Hiei climbed over top of him, straddling his hips and leaned down and kissed him. Kurama arched into Hiei's kiss, wrapping his arms around the fire demon's shoulders to hold him there. Hiei's kiss trailed away from his lips until they came to the curve of Kurama's neck, where he felt sharp teeth scratch the surface. Kurama gasped at the feeling, so gentle, yet so real. When he had written the letter, he was imagining what he would do, but he just couldn't feel it the way that he wanted. He couldn't feel it the way that he did right now.

"I am not going to let you do those things in your letter, fox," Hiei said gently as he pulled back slightly. "Because that is a fox's way of mating. Fire demon's mate differently, and that is what is going to be done here. Not your way."

Kurama blinked, he knew that fire demons had a specific ritual when it came to mating, but it was very scarey to the fox. It required the fox to surrender completely to the whims of the demon, putting total trust in that person, for if the mating was done any other way... it would destroy them both. It wouldn't kill them, just the relationship to the point of a bitter end where more then one of the partners couldn't live with that demon anymore. The scarey part about mating a fire demon was, only thirty percent of the matings lasted. It was a permanent bond, just like the fox's mating, but most of the matings ended in suicide on one or both parties involved.

"Do you trust me, fox?" Hiei murmured lightly, sensing the fox's fears.

Kurama looked up at Hiei, his eyes were soft, as were the hands that were holding the side of his face. Hiei was waiting for his reply, hoping that the fox within could do such a thing. Become a submissive party to the fire demon, even if it was only once. Kurama realized just then, as his heart fluttered, that the fox would do anything for this fire demon. Even if it meant going against everything that he was. Kurama smiled lightly up to the demon above him and kissed him lightly. "I trust you."

Hiei felt his heart leap into his throat, an odd warmth flowing through his body, setting his skin on fire. He smiled down at the fox and leaned towards his throat. He kissed the curve of his neck and ran his hands down to Kurama's chest. Hiei knew the ritual was scarey to most, and he knew the consequences to his actions, should he make Kurama fear him at any time. Going through the process in his mind, he reminded himself that he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't give his fox any reason to fear him, even if he had to get a little rough. And that was just the way his kind was, he wasn't very proud of it. For he had seen a mating up close and personal, and the poor girl walked away with dark bruises, and deep lacerations on her skin.

Teeth, nails and strength were the three things that were dominant in the mating of a fire demon. And they HAD to be used. There was no ifs, ands or buts about it. And so, Hiei gently kissed a trail from Kurama's neck, up until he was able to claim the fox's lips, gently at first, until he could feel the warmth pooling in his stomach.

"I love you, Kurama," Hiei said gently as he pulled away. "Don't you ever forget it. No matter what happens next. Please don't forget that."

Kurama looked up at him and smiled. "There is nothing that you can do that will change that fact, Hiei. I trust you, with my life, with my heart, with my everything. I love you, Hiei. I always have, and I always will."

Hiei pounced, his teeth instantly finding Kurama's neck, causing the fox to hiss through his clenched teeth as the sharper fangs pierced his skin. It hurt, but only a moment later, a feeling of warmth spread through the bite and into his body... it was the venom that ran through every fire demon's veins... unknown to many, but feared by those who did know. Kurama placed his quivering fingers on Hiei's shoulders as the venom spread. Hiei released him a few moments later, blood still trickling from the marks, his tongue tracing the marks as he lapped up what was spilled. The feeling made the fox sigh, music to Hiei. He looked down at Kurama, watching him momentarily as the venom spread, soon it would paralyze him, not so that he was dead weight, but it would make him a total submissive, willing to do anything, for in fox's it would start their heats and give them absolutely no power to resist.

Hiei sat back and ran his fingers down Kurama's body, causing him to shiver at the slight pressure of his strong hands. His fingers reached under his shirt and lifted as they trailed back up lifting the shirt as they went. Kurama didn't realize that he had somehow combined the two mating rituals for their kinds and that was what he had given him in that letter. Hiei smirked darkly as his nails grazed the tender skin of his abdomen, goosebumps appearing on the alabaster skin as his nails ran up only to stop above his chest. Hiei reached down and kissed the little bumps that had come over Kurama's skin, the heat from his venom evident with the tiniest kiss. Kurama leaned into the kiss, arching his back as he could feel the fire racing through his bloodstream.

Hiei let one hand leave his skin, only to reach up and wrap around Kurama's throat. Kurama's eyes opened and looked at him. "Still trust me?"

"Yes," Kurama panted lightly, the heat of his own kind starting to come into effect.

Hiei's grip on his neck tightened as he lifted Kurama from the cushion. The pressure was rough, Kurama's airway blocked by Hiei's grip, as Kurama was pulled to a sitting position in front of the fire demon. Hiei's grip released once he was sitting up, air returning to his lungs as Kurama watched the fire demon return his hand to the place that it had been removed. He ran his hands up until his hands were holding Kurama's shoulders under the shirt. Hiei leaned down and kissed the slight dip that lead to Kurama's abdomen, his teeth grazing the skin once more, sending shivers down Kurama's spine. Hiei stopped and removed the shirt, revealing that alabaster skin to him, a marvelous sight to the small demon. He then pushed Kurama back against the cushion again, his fangs finding the already harden nipples. Kurama cried out softly as he felt Hiei's tongue swirl around them, then cried out again as the fangs pierced the skin.

The scene repeated itself until Hiei could see the sweat running down Kurama's skin, mixing with the tiny rivers of blood that were left behind from his teeth. The sight was beautiful to him, slightly arousing, as he looked at Kurama, his arms limply laying to the side, having fallen there some time ago. Hiei shifted and unbuttoned Kurama pants as he placed feather light kisses on the smooth skin that wasn't bleeding. Kurama shivered as he felt his pants being pulled down, Hiei's mouth and teeth following in their wake. Kurama cried out as Hiei's teeth punctured the skin of his inner thigh, his smooth but rough hands spreading him wide, the fire demon smiling where the fox could not see. Then the air was shifted. Kurama could feel the intensity of the heat from all around him, it swirled through his veins as the heat of his own kind spread like a wildfire. Hiei then pulled the fox out of his revery as Hiei grabbed him by the throat and pulled him up till he was face to face with those burning red eyes.

Hiei's actions were no longer gentle, Kurama knew what was coming and he swallowed hard, for Hiei had yet to release his throat, as Hiei's once feather light kisses turned into those of a lustful lunatic. He leaned into the fox, biting his lips until he could feel the tears well up in his eyes. But it wasn't the pain that was causing the tears, they were begging tears, begging the fire demon to continue. Kurama was released and Hiei's grip was transferred to Kurama's hips. Hiei's nail dug into the skin as he climbed on top of the fox, Kurama's heat becoming unbearable at the feeling of the swollen member behind Hiei's pants. Kurama was released for a mere second, while Hiei removed his pants. Kurama looked up at him, watching as he pulled the shirt over his head and tossing it to the side. Hiei looked down at the fox, panting heavily as the venom and the heat spread throughout the delicate human body.

Hiei reached down and pulled Kurama to his feet, his knees trembling as Hiei's teeth found him again. Kurama moaned lightly as he felt Hiei sink his teeth into his chest, a mere inches from the scar above his heart. Hiei felt Kurama's hands grasp his shoulders for support, he felt the knees holding him up quiver as they stood there for a moment. Hiei then turned the fox around and kicked the back of Kurama's knees, making them buckle. Kurama landed on his knees hard, not expecting them to buckle so easily, as his arms and chest landed on the futon. Hiei crouched behind him, biting him on the back of his shoulder. Kurama leaned into the bite, craving more as his heat was now in full swing. Hiei moved Kurama's hair to the side, his nails not being gentle as they scraped across the shoulders as they went. Kurama shuddered as his back arched. He wanted more, and was going to get it. He felt Hiei's nails digging a path down his spine, the feeling was so divine... Kurama couldn't help but cry out in utter bliss, calling Hiei's name, begging for more. Hiei gave him what he wanted, for at that moment, Hiei's hands were pulled away, and he could feel pressure at his entrance. Kurama gripped the cushion and cried out, his voice strained as he struggled to cope with what had happened. Hiei drove in, full force with no preparation. Kurama's tears streamed down his face as Hiei gripped his hip and shoulder. Without warning, Hiei rocked into him, the movement causing a painful and erotic friction within him. Kurama didn't have a chance, he cried out, clinging to the cushion in front of him as Hiei plunged into him. Hiei growled, his nails bit painfully into Kurama's shoulder, drawing blood that traveled down his back. Hiei rocked into him, thrusting him forward into the cushion. He leaned forward and licked at the blood that flowed, savoring the sweet taste of the fox's blood and sweat mingling together.

"Tell me what you want, Kurama," Hiei said behind him, his voice dark and demanding to the fox, but his thrusts were getting harder and faster with each word that was demanded.

Kurama cried out as he struggled to find his voice. Hiei's thrusts were relentless and hard, tearing him from the inside, pushing him closer to the edge. Hiei's grip on his shoulder was gone, but a handful of hair was grabbed and pulled, causing Kurama to wince at the pain in his scalp. "Tell me!"

Kurama cried out and swallowed hard. "I want... ne... I want you, Hiei. Only you."

Hiei released his hip, only to gather the rest of the fox's hair into his hands and pull, hard enough that in their current position, Kurama's back was arched as far as it could go, and his neck as far back as it could be. He swallowed hard, the pull of his head making the action harder than it should have been. Hiei's hand returned to his shoulder, as Hiei drove his hips against the fox's at a merciless pace, the sound of his hip smacking against Kurama was reverberating around the room, mixing with Kurama's cries. "Tell me, Kurama... what is it that you want."

Kurama's breath caught in his throat, Hiei's thrusts and the pull in his neck making breathing the most difficult thing to do at the moment. He moaned lightly as he felt Hiei's grip tighten. "I want you. I want only you... for the rest of my life... no one else..."

Hiei smiled darkly behind him, Kurama's voice was strained, harsh from the pressure of his head being pulled back so far. Hiei leaned in whispered darkly into Kurama's ear. "Tell me what you want right now... what is it that you want me to do."

Kurama gasped as the grip on his shoulder was tightened, his vision starting to blur as the heat from the venom had finally reached his heart. "I want you to mate me, Hiei. Bind us, forever... ne... take me."

Hiei smiled as his grip on his hair disappeared, Kurama's head falling forward as he gasped for air, unable to catch any for Hiei's thrusts were still faster than light. Hiei's fingers dug into his shoulders, Hiei's knuckles white from the force of holding him as he pounded against the red head before him. His vision began to grow blurry as he could feel the end was close, he could hear Kurama's strained cries into the cushion growing louder as his end approached as well. At the last moment, Kurama's head was pulled back in a painful grip on his throat, and he heard the words that would bind them together forever.

"I hereby claim you as mine, forever," Hiei said, and sank his fangs into the fox's neck, puncturing the vein that lead to his heart, releasing them both from the heat of desire, sending them both crashing over the fiscal cliffs of oblivion.

Kurama cried out, unable to stop himself, his hand reaching behind him to hold his demon mate in place as the captivating bliss came over them both. Hiei released his neck, licking the edges of the marks to seal them, watching as a burning flame hugging a delicate red rose appeared where the marks were placed. With that, Kurama was marked as his, and everyone would know it. The mark was one that combined their own marks. Hiei's licking flames, and Kurama's red rose. Hiei smiled lightly as he kissed the mark, sending another wave of shivers down Kurama's spine as he panted heavily against the cushion. Hiei gently pulled out of Kurama and he could hear Kurama groan at the friction that was caused. He then wrapped his arms around Kurama's waist and pulled him back, so that Kurama leaned against him, his knees quivering under the motion.

Kurama panted lightly, the tears still running down his face, at that moment, Kurama knew for sure, that they were of pleasure, ones that could only be brought forth in the moment of utter bliss when a fox was in heat, for he could feel the heat leaving his body with each tear that fell from his eyes. Kurama leaned into Hiei's arms as they circled protectively around his stomach and chest, holding him there, right where the fox wanted to be. When the breath returned to his burning lungs, and motion was restored to his jelly like limbs, Kurama placed his arms over his mate's ensuring that with Hiei.

"I love you, Hiei," Kurama said as he turned his head to see the fire demon's face. "I love you more than anything else."

Hiei smiled and claimed his lips in a gentle kiss, one that was of pure love, not stealing heat, but of refreshing delight. "I love you too, fox. Forever."

))_))_

The end of Chapter Seven: Mine Forever. I hope you guys enjoyed as much as I did, because that was just the beginning, for if you are keeping track, Hiei still has A LOT of time to go before he can go home and be with his now MATE. So until next time, leave me your comments and reviews and please keep following, because I have a bombshell of a chapter coming up. And you wont want to miss it. So until then, I leave you with a gentle, ta ta for now.


	8. Chapter 8: Discoveries

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I do own the storyline and the few original characters within. Now the title of this chapter is kind of self explanatory so I am going to keep this brief, Kurama and Hiei have just mated, and as described in previous chapter, Fire Demon mating are rough, so let's see how Kurama explains the bruises that he has all of a sudden. I give you Chapter Eight: Discoveries.**_

))_))_

Kurama smiled lightly as he kissed Hiei on the forehead as they heard the door unlock from the other side. Kurama winced as he turned and took a step forward, but Hiei stopped him, wrapping his arms around his waist, whispering that he was sorry that he had hurt him. Kurama shook his head and said that it was a good kind of hurt, and that he was willing to take it over and over again if it meant that Hiei wouldn't blame himself.

"I told you, Hiei, there is nothing that you could possibly do that would change the way I feel about you," he said gently as the door opened. "I will see you next time."

Kurama walked out of the door, Granger actually looking at him strangely as he did. Granger turned to the fire demon prisoner and chuckled lightly. "I take it the meeting went well."

Hiei frowned at the perverted warden. "Shut up."

Granger laughed as he cuffed Hiei and took him back to his cell, excusing the fire demon for he knew that Hiei was just being protective of his personal business. But hey, and old man had to try. Granger walked to the cell with Hiei in tow and told him that his file was going to be up for review in the next three months. "We should know whether or not the parole board will hear your case or not in as little as four maybe five months. But you are going to be under close watch until then, so..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Hiei said sarcastically. "Behave myself. But as I told you before, Chief, how is one supposed to get into trouble around here, when I am never near anyone else?"

Granger smiled. "Exactly."

))_))_

Kurama groaned lightly as he leaned against the front door of his house. He was thrilled that Hiei had mated him, promised to love him forever, but damn he wasn't prepared at all for that type of a mating. Even the fox within was cringing with each step he took. He was going to have to heal himself before his mother noticed anything off. He already knew that there were going to be bruises, but the bite marks would be harder to explain. He would have to heal those. Kurama seen his mother's car in the driveway and sighed lightly. He braced himself and walked into the house. Shiori smiled up at him from the couch, and Kurama inwardly cringed, hoping that she hadn't heard him lean against the door outside.

"Hello, mother," he said with a bright smile.

"Hello, Shuiichi," she said and turned back to her magazine. "How was your visit with Hiei?"

Kurama smiled lightly and hoped that his cheeks weren't growing red with the thought of what had just taken place. "It was good, we played chess and talked."

She smiled and breathed out. "Sure ya did."

Kurama sighed lightly and sat down on the couch. "What is it that you think happened, mother?"

Shiori sat her magazine to the side and looked at her son dead in the eye. "Do you really want to know, son?"

Kurama nodded, hoping that he didn't regret his choice. "Yes, I do. I want to see if you are anywhere close."

She smiled and crossed her arms. "I know how close I am to the truth. The blush on your cheeks, tells me that I am right. You do like him in more ways than just a friend."

Kurama blinked as he looked at his mother. "How could you possibly know that?"

She smiled. "Mother's intuition. Besides, I know my son. You have been up to see him more than any of your other friends, and your letters have become more and more frequent with him. There can't be all that much for him to talk about, I mean I never really heard him say more than a sentence or two. There is only one thing that the two of you could possibly be writing to each other... promises of the future when he gets out. And I suspect that on his first extended visit, some of the things that were promised have already come true."

Kurama gaped at his mother. What the hell? How had she... He shook his head. "What makes you think that, mother?"

"That shocked expression on your face, and the fact that I can see a hickey on your neck," she said with a smile. "I can see you care about him, Shuiichi. It is a life choice that you have to make on your own. I cannot make that choice for you, and no one else can either. If you care about him, then you care about him. As your mother, I can only sit back and wish you luck with him."

Kurama's hand flew to his neck, a tender spot that Hiei had left there... Hiei had given him a hickey!? That's why Granger was looking at him like that when he left! He sighed lightly and figured there was no point in hiding the truth, since she already seemed to know the truth.

"Alright, mother," he said and leaned forward, wincing slightly. "It's true. I do care about him, more than you think. It wasn't until you said something about it before I came to realize how right you were about us. I did want more than a friendship with him, and it is true that some things were promised in our letters."

She smiled, glad that her son was finally telling her the truth. She had known for a long time already, she could always see a smile on his face when he was writing a letter to his "friend" and it wasn't a friends' smile that was shown. It was one of more than was had. It was one of love and longing. Of wishing.

"I know, son," she said lightly and sipped her tea. "I am just glad that you are willing to finally admit it to me."

Kurama sighed lightly. "I'm sorry I hid the truth from you. I didn't want to disappoint you. I know that you want grandchildren... and being gay... it would rob you of that. I would love to give you the grandchildren that you want... but... I..."

"I would rather see you happy, Shuiichi," she said softly. "If you and Hiei being together keeps that smile on your face, then I will be happy. I love you, son. There is nothing that you could do that would disappoint me. And besides, if there was a possibility of grandchildren, then there is always adoption. There are millions of children out there that need a loving family to take care of them."

Kurama blinked. She was still gonna push the grandchildren, even if he WAS gay? Wow... that was a shock. Even if they didn't share here genes, she would still love them as though they were her own. That was an interesting fact, he would have to talk to Hiei about that. He winced as he took a deep breath, the activities of earlier starting to catch up to him. He knew that he was still bleeding from some of his wounds, and that is why he didn't want to lean back against the couch, for the fabric was white. He glanced at the clock on the wall, sighing lightly. He only had a few hours before he had to go to Koenma's office. Yusuke and Kuwabara was working right now and they would get off about thirty minutes after he go there. He shook his head and looked at his mother. "I have to get ready for work."

"Alright," she said lightly. "I will be sure to save you some dinner for later."

He shook his head as he got up cautiously. "No need, mother. I will be working late tonight, visiting Hiei cut into my work hours today..."

"So you have to make them up tonight," she nodded and looked at her magazine. "I've been there, darling. I know what that means too. You are probably not going to want to join me for breakfast tomorrow morning."

He winced at that. "I'm sorry mother, I will try to be up for it. But you have worked nights and know what its like when you get home."

She nodded with a smile. "Yes, I do. All you want to do is sleep."

He smiled lightly. "I will see you later though, I promise."

She smiled again as he placed a kiss on her cheek. He stood up and walked up the stairs. She smirked, Hiei must be good because she knew that walk WAY too well. She was young once, therefore she knew what it was like to have a wicked good time. She shook her head and picked up her magazine.

))_))_

Kurama sighed heavily as he looked into the mirror. He groaned as he looked at the marks that were already visible. A HICKEY! That little shit had given him a hickey! But the mark that really caught his eye was the one that was on the other side of his neck. On the left side of his neck, there was a red rose being licked by flames. Hiei had left his mated mark on him. The thought made him smile. He leaned closer to the mirror and examined it closer. It was beautiful, and it actually had bright colors, almost as if it was a tattoo. His fingers traced the mark, pulling away when the pain shot through his neck at the simple touch.

"Ouch..." he winced as his shoulder shot pain through his back. He sighed heavily. He was really gonna be sore tomorrow. He turned in the mirror. "Damn!"

There were dark red scratches down his back and across his shoulders. He hadn't felt all that. He smirked, he was going to have to return the favor the next time they got together. He was going to mate Hiei the next time, and he wasn't going to let up, not until the little fire demon was begging for him to stop, and still he wouldn't stop. He knew that was going to be cruel and unusual punishment for him, but after the markings left all over his body was going to make up for that. He shook his head and stepped into the shower. He had to get ready, but first, he was going to have to make himself something to dull the pain, because he couldn't help but wince with every slight move.

))_))_

Kurama sighed heavily as he sat in his chair at Koenma's office. Yusuke and Kuwabara were in the middle of a discussion about a file that they were both hovering over. Kurama figured they were going to find out about this, but he wasn't expecting their actual reaction.

"What the hell happened to you?!" they both said as they came to stand over him.

Yusuke lifted the collar of his shirt and examined the bruises that surrounded the puncture marks in the center. "Did Hiei do this?"

Kurama shrugged his shirt free from Yusuke's grasp and shook his head. "It's not what you think, Yusuke."

"He hit you?!" Kuwabara asked seeing a bruise on his arm. "I'll kill him!"

Kurama sighed heavily and stood up, wincing harshly, sucking breath in through clench teeth and shook his head to the two detectives. "You can't blame him for this!"

Yusuke stepped back and looked at him. "What the hell happened, Kurama? You said that you two were dating? Why would he hurt you like this? I can see that you are in pain."

"Koenma! Help me out here, please!" Kurama protested as the toddler was standing there behind them all. "Tell them that its not what it seems!"

Kuwabara and Yusuke turned to see that Koenma was actually chuckling lightly. "You two are human, therefore, seeing something like this would naturally concern you."

"Thank you!" Kurama said as he sat back down, groaning lightly as his ass was still sore from that afternoon. "I told you guys, it's not what it seems!"

Yusuke glanced back to Kurama and then turned back to the toddler. "What is going on here, Koenma? What do you know that we don't?"

Kurama sighed and figured his day of confessions wasn't over. "It's not the same, when humans sleep together. Demons, we are naturally rough in everything we do, why wouldn't we be when WE sleep together?"

Kuwabara gaped. "He gave you those marks while you two were having sex?"

Kurama groaned and shook his head. "I told you, it's not what you think. Things are different with our kind."

Koenma cleared his throat and stood up on his desk. "I think I can explain a little bit easier. When Humans fall in love, they get married and go on their honeymoon, right. Well with Demons, Kurama is right, it is very different. There isn't a ceremony with friends and loved ones to proclaim their love to each other. It is done with a ritual called a Mating. Now each demon mating ritual is different. Fox demons and Fire demons are two of the types that do have a rough and almost brutal mating ritual, but their matings are the purest. It is a bond that is created not only out of love, but of PURE and unmatched trust. Bonds of that type are the rarest and the purest. They are forever, and once mated, no one can lay a hand on the other without the mate flipping out and going ballistic on them."

Kurama nodded and sighed lightly. "You see, it isn't what you thought. I told you that I was okay."

Koenma looked at him and smiled. "To tell you the truth... I am surprised that you are able to walk after a mating with a fire demon. Their rituals are extremely tough, but can only be done if the partner is more than willing to suffer through the pain to be mated to them. I am surprised that you were willing to go through it in Human form."

Kurama groaned and laid his head on his desk, now Koenma was going to turn on him. "Please... just drop it."

Koenma shook his head. "I can't, Kurama. I want to see it."

Kurama growled lightly and turned his head to the side, pulling his collar down to reveal the mark that Hiei had left on him. Koenma smiled as he walked over and took a closer look. Most fox demons had a flower or something of the sorts as their Kin Marks. And Fire demons had flames of some type. He smiled as he looked at the mark, surprised to see it so clearly.

"Do you know why the marking is so dark, Kurama?" Koenma asked as he stepped back.

Kurama shook his head. "I was kind of wondering why."

Koenma smiled. He wanted to tell him, but he turned and Yusuke and Kuwabara were leaning towards him to listen in. He frowned and turned to them. "Beat it!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara jumped and took several steps back. They didn't leave though. Koenma sighed and turned back to Kurama. "I will email you."

"Just say it," Kurama said. "They know everything already. They might as well know this."

Koenma sighed lightly. "The darker the mark, the stronger the bond. When the mark is so dark, it has a second meaning. The meaning can be interpreted in many ways but there is only one true reason for the mark to be so dark. It means that the mated pairing is the one that was built for each other. Each person on the planet is paired with one other. If they come together and they mate, their mark will be clear. But also, it means that no one will dare interfere with the relationship. Every other demon will fear the mark, something about it will simply warn them away."

Kurama blinked. "What do you mean?"

Koenma smiled. "You know how you fear Karasu... he wont be able to lay a hand on you ever again. Even if he wants to. The mark is like a protection barrier. It will stop anyone who tries to lay a hand on you. If he bears the same mark, no one can touch him either. Your bond will be sacred, one that is untouchable. One that cannot be broken, even by death."

"Immortality?" Kurama breathed. "Impossible."

Koenma smiled lightly. The meaning behind his smile was going to blow his mind. "Actually, you are correct. When soul mates come together, the gods can grant them with immortality. But to tell you the truth, you and Hiei have been immortal for some time now. Even before your mating and even before your relationship even began. Your harbored feelings for each other was enough to get that immortality before a mating ever took place. That is why your wounds healed so quick. How you are able to stand here before me after mating just a few hours ago."

Kurama blinked... immortal? He had longed for it when he was Youko Kurama. He had fought to stay alive, wishing that he could live forever... but now... as a human, he was granted the very thing he wanted. That meant... Hiei was immortal as well. The thought made him smile, no matter what they faced in the future... they would always be together. Koenma left his desk with a satisfied smile on his face. He left Kurama to stare into space and process all that he was told and the new things that he had just discovered. He smirked... for a fox demon, he was quite naive about the most important things in this life.

))_))_

Hiei smiled as he read the letter from Kurama.

_Dear, Hiei, my love._

_You little SHIT! How dare you give me a hickey! My mother was the one to point it out to me! You know what that did to me? I had no choice but to tell her about us, and surprisingly, she is supportive of us. But the real kicker to this rant is this, Yusuke and Kuwabara know as well! Everyone knows already, and it is all because of the gosh darn hickey that you left on my neck... and the mating mark that rests on the other side. _

_I learned something new today. Something that you might find interesting. Do you know why a demon's markings can get so dark? If not, I will tell you. The darker the mark, the stronger the bond. However, my mark is as clear as the words that I am writing to you now. Which means only one thing... we were destined to be together, we are soul mates and the moment that I mate you, our lives will go on for a LONG, LONG time. For soul mates that find each other on their own, like us, turn immortal if the gods believe it is worth the effort. _

_Nothing can hurt us in the future, Hiei. Not Karasu, not Bui, not even time can hurt us. That is something that I have always dreamed of. To find one that I can spend the rest of my life with, no matter how short. But we will live on, longer than we normally would and we will always be together. I love you, Hiei. I want to be with you forever. And I will never change my mind. I can't, not now. Not after you marked me the way you did. Not after you showed me and the Youko the real meaning of love. _

_I am warning you now... the bites and marks on my body will fade by the time we see each other again, but I will be sure to return the favor to you. You will know the way I felt, for the next time, I will mate you myself, and I will be sure that EVERYONE there knows it. For you are MY fire demon. I will be damned if anyone tries to take you from me. The light in your eyes will belong to me in a short week, and I promise you that it will be forever, for I love you Hiei. I will never tire of saying that. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, you belong to me as much as I belong to you._

_I love you, Hiei. Forever yours, Kurama. _

Hiei smiled lightly as finished the letter. Immortal huh, that was an interesting thought. But the thing that struck him the most, was Kurama's possessiveness already. He had mated the fox, not the other way around. And the thought made him smile. He knew about the Fox demon mating ritual, he was curious if the vines used in the ritual fed the sexuality of the fox, or helped add to his own. He was only concerned about one thing, Fox demon's mating ritual meant that the vines got to play with him FIRST. That wasn't fair, he wanted the fox to have him first. But then again... the thought of Kurama's vines wrapped around him, playing with him was strangely erotic. He was looking forward to the encounter that was promised in the letter. Hiei sat back on the bed and smiled as he waited for the day to come.

))_))_

The End of Chapter Eight: Discoveries. I hope you enjoyed, it was short and sweet but it gets a lot of information to you about what is to come, but still read for the next few chapters will leave you on the edge of your seats. For only Kurama is under the protection of the mark, not Hiei. Until next time, leave your comments, reviews, and requests and I will get to them soon. Ta ta for now.


	9. Chapter 9: Forced

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the storyline and the few original characters. Now... theses upcoming chapters are supposed to make you think... Whoa wait... what. So therefore I will not describe anything about them. So please read and enjoy the chapter. I give you... Chapter Nine: Forced.**_

))_))_

Hiei sighed lightly as he looked across the cell, the guards passing by, not stopping to talk or even look at him. He was bored, he had no more books to read, he had memorized Kurama's letters and was hoping that one of them would stop to at least say hello to him. He shook his head. It was Tuesday, tomorrow he would be mated to Kurama and their bond would be sealed by a matching mark on his neck. He sighed heavily and waited. The day seemed to be moving so slowly and he seemed to be counting the minutes of the day away.

Granger came to his cell later that day, with it being the night before his visits, Hiei always was taken to the shower rooms before his visits. That was a good thing though, for the day was unusually hot, and Hiei had found himself sweating several times. Even in the prison yard, he had sat in the shade to keep cool. He was miserable, being a fire demon, his internal body temperature was already elevated naturally... add the extreme heat of the day... Hiei was hit with a double whammy.

Hiei was told to look away for the cuff that held out his energy needed to be removed for the shower, because it was mechanical and therefore, not exactly waterproof. Hiei felt weak the moment the cuff came off. He couldn't draw any energy, the lasting effects of the cuff. It had kept him at the energy levels of a human, which sucked considering he was a powerful demon. Granger unlocked the door and let him into the room. It was a single person's shower. Being in solitary confinement meant EXACTLY that, absolutely no contact with any other inmates. He sighed lightly as he took the towels that were handed to him and he turned to the shower room. He wasn't exactly happy about having to shower in the open like this, at least in the Human world, there was a curtain.

Hiei undressed and turned on the water, letting the cold water overpower the warm, in a feeble attempt to cool his internal temperature. He let the water drift over his back and sighed lightly, it felt so good, but a noise behind him made him stop. He turned and looked around, not seeing anyone there. He frowned and warily went back to his shower.

Suddenly, Hiei felt a tight and rough grip on his arms, forcing them behind him. He opened his mouth to say something, but a hand covered his mouth before any words made it to the surface. Hiei struggled in the arms of his attacker. He was shoved against the wall and he gasped at the force. This couldn't be happening to him... not now...

A deep voice chuckled behind him as a band suddenly wound around his wrists, tethering them together, once the bond was in place, the hand disappeared from his arms. "I have waited for so long..."

The voice sounded familiar... he couldn't place it... his brain seemed to stop working for him as the man reached in front of him and grabbed his limp member. Hiei tried to close his legs, but the man shoved his knees between Hiei's legs, forcing them open. Hiei whimpered into the man's strong hand over his mouth. He shook his head, trying to shake the grip, but to no avail. The hand disappeared from his own member, thankfully Hiei thought. But the sound of a zipper being pulled down was what had him struggling to move. No! This couldn't happen. He pulled at the ward on his wrists, but it seemed to tighten around him. The man chuckled again as he moved around behind Hiei, his knees keeping Hiei spread wide. Hiei shook with fear... this couldn't be happening to him. He whimpered again as he tried to pull some energy to him, but the cuff that had been around his wrist for so long, stopped any energy from being collected.

Hiei cried out into the man's hand, the man's hardened member suddenly buried deep within him. Hiei felt his forehead against the cold tile as the man pumped into him. Hiei shook his head, his eyes squeezed closed as the man took him. He shivered, the heat in the room and the heat in his skin was suddenly gone. The man thrust into him and chuckled lightly as each of his thrusts earned a new whimper and a new set of shivers through the smaller man's body.

With a hard and powerful thrust the man emptied into him, Hiei crying out as the man wrapped his hand around Hiei's stiffening member. The man's attack continued, for he adjusted his stance, grinding his larger hips into Hiei's. He pulled on Hiei's cock, hardening him to the point that he was moaning into his hand, the force of his actions causing a blind bliss to the fire demon. He shook his head, the man behind him snickering as he thrust his hips into the demon, his hand pulling the member in front of him. The actions continued, Hiei hating himself, unable to defend himself. Then one thought came to mind... Kurama... how was he going to explain this to him...

"Stop that!" the man behind him growled. "You will not think of that slut while I fuck you!"

Hiei whimpered at the painful grip on him, both hands had tightened at the mere thought of his love. The man pulled him away from the wall, shoved him to his knees and they fell to the floor, Hiei's painful grunt muffled by the man's unending grasp. The man shoved into Hiei, thrusting hard into the core of the fire demon. Hiei's whimpers fell on deft ears as the man pulled him harder. Hiei's eyes closed as he felt the man force him towards the edge. The man grunted as he came again, this time taking Hiei over that edge with him. Hiei sank to the floor, his arms still tethered behind him, and he whimpered before the man sat up.

"Never forget this," the man said, and in the blink of an eye, the bonds were gone, as was the man.

Hiei gasped for air as his arms fell to the ground next to him. He tightened his fists, hating himself for giving the man exactly what he wanted. He pulled himself off the floor and turned off the cold water, letting the steam run over him. Nothing would erase the feeling of disgust from him. Nor would it ever leave his mind. He shivered under the hot water. His skin was red with heat rash before he was taken back to his cell, a mild look on his face. Granger seen this and asked him what was wrong. Hiei shook his head and looked down, simply telling him that he was tired. Granger didn't buy it. He pushed the issue, but no more came from the fire demon, as he sat on the bed and turned away before the cell door was even locked. Granger frowned as he looked at Hiei, who had turned his back to the warden, laying back against the pillow. Hiei refused to talk to him, and Granger had no choice but to turn and walk away.

))_))_

The next morning, Kurama smiled lightly to the warden as he came into the office to sign in and get his visitor's badge. He smiled back, but Kurama frowned as he studied the Warden. "Everything okay, chief?"

He sighed lightly and shook his head. "I don't know. He wouldn't talk to me. He was talkative before his shower..."

Kurama frowned as he looked at the man. "What do you mean?"

"I was hoping that you could figure it out," Granger said. "I don't know. He still hasn't said a word to anyone."

Kurama was lead to the room where they were before. When Granger opened the door and let him in, Kurama took one last look at the man before he closed the door and locked it. He turned into the room, and frowned. Hiei sat on the futon, staring down at the floor, holding his knees together. Kurama took off his coat and laid it on the chair across from the futon and sat down next to Hiei. "Hiei, what's wrong?"

Hiei shook his head, not speaking as he continued to focus his sight on the floor. He couldn't look up, he wouldn't. He wouldn't let Kurama know what had happened. He knew that the truth was going to come out, but he wanted to savor a moment of peace with him before it did. He didn't shift his focus, but instead leaned his head towards the fox, and fully laid against Kurama's lap. Kurama's hand was instantly on his shoulder, but pulled back quickly as he felt Hiei jump. Kurama frowned... he had a feeling he knew what was wrong... he remembered what this was. He knew all too well what would traumatize someone like this.

"Hiei, please... talk to me," he said softly, hoping that his emotions weren't coming out too obvious. "Hiei. What happened?"

Hiei placed a hand on Kurama's knee, the material being gripped tightly in his hand. It was an anchor for him, Kurama thought. The signs were becoming clearer and clearer to him. Someone had hurt him. In a way that no one on earth should have to suffer through. "Tell me what happened, love."

Hiei's emotions were released, his shoulders shuddered lightly as the tears began to flow. Kurama frowned and laid a hand on his mate. He didn't care that he jumped, he kept his hand there and rubbed his shoulder lightly as he felt Hiei sob. This was a new side of Hiei, but then again... anyone would be the same...

"... I tried... I tried to stop it..." Hiei sobbed lightly.

Kurama's tears fell. He was right... someone had raped him. Kurama leaned down and wrapped his arms around the fire demon, holding him softly. "Tell me... who?"

Hiei shook his head. "I don't know... he came from nowhere..." he took a shaky breath and Kurama leaned back a bit as he felt Hiei try to sit up. "I thought of you... he told me to stop it..."

Kurama took another route, and pulled him into his lap, letting Hiei sit across his legs, his head on his shoulder, and wrapped his arms around him. He knew that this wouldn't help, but it had to start somewhere. Hiei laid his head on Kurama's shoulder, as his hand once again tightened on the clothes that Kurama wore. Kurama leaned his forehead against Hiei's soft hair, waiting. He closed his eyes, vowing that he would find the man that did this to Hiei and that man would pay. With his life.

"... he... he made me do it... took what was yours..."

Kurama tightened his arms around him and Hiei snuggled in close. "You couldn't help it, I know... I know."

Hiei shook his head... "You don't know, Kurama... you don't know what it's like to be taken by force."

Kurama sighed lightly and place a hand on Hiei's cheek. He gently lifted it so that Hiei was looking at him. "Yes, Hiei. I do know what if feels like to be raped. Why do you think I hate Karasu so much. That is what he did to me, for years."

Hiei blinked, That SLIME! Kurama shook his head. "It is the reason I became such a selfish bastard of a youko. I had no one to help me through it when I was finally able to escape. I didn't have anyone that cared. But you do, Hiei. I love you. I care."

Hiei looked down. "I couldn't..."

Kurama shushed him lightly. "It's over. The effects will last, but not forever. Why didn't you tell Granger? He suspects something had happened... but he doesn't know what."

Hiei shook his head. "I couldn't bring myself to tell you... why would I tell him?"

"Because he is the Warden here," Kurama said softly. "He can do something about it. He can bring you peace of mind that the sick bastard will never be able to get to you again."

"I don't even know who it was... how was I supposed to just accuse someone of something like this?" he asked sadly. "I mean I have heard the voice before... but I just can't place it."

"He can help you," Kurama insisted lightly. "I want to help you, Hiei. But we have to start with making sure that Granger knows about this so that it doesn't happen again, to you or anyone else."

Hiei sighed heavily. "And how are we supposed to do that, Kurama. Set up a voice line up?"

Kurama nodded. Hiei frowned. "I was being sarcastic."

"I'm not," Kurama said flatly. "I want you to be safe in here, Hiei. That is why I fought so hard to have Koenma do something about everything. I was willing to take your place in here... he didn't even consider that... but still... I wanted something to happen. But I never wanted you to be hurt."

"This isn't your fault, fox," Hiei said.

"It's not your fault, either, Hiei," Kurama said. "Please... let me call Granger in here. Please."

Hiei sighed heavily, knowing that Kurama was right. He took a breath and nodded lightly. Hiei sat up and then curled up on the end of the futon, as he had been sitting when Kurama had walked into the room. Kurama stood up and walked to the door, pushing the call button on his side of the door. A loud echoing buzzer was heard and then a few minutes later Granger unlocked the door and opened it. He frowned as he looked at the boy, then to Hiei.

"Granger, can we talk for a few minutes?" Kurama asked, the warden looking at him funny.

Granger nodded, and closed the door behind him. Kurama walked over to the futon and sat down next to Hiei, Hiei looking away the moment that Granger stepped closer. Kurama sighed lightly. "Come on, Hiei. Just tell him."

Granger frowned. "Tell me what, Hiei?"

Hiei sighed heavily and looked at the warden. With a heavy heart, he told the warden what had happened in the shower the day before, giving him more detail than he had given Kurama. Granger's face changed, from one of worry to one of concern. He frowned as Hiei finished telling him what had happened. "You didn't see his face?"

Hiei shook his head, his eyes on the verge of tears again. "I told you... he came from nowhere... and then again... he was gone..."

Granger frowned again, this time crossing his arms over his chest. "Did you see any distinctive markings?"

Hiei looked up at him and frowned, confused by the question. Kurama stepped in. "Tattoos, scars... anything that might have been in your line of vision?"

Hiei looked down. "There was a tattoo, a smoking black skull on his forearm. There were words under the skull... but I couldn't make them out."

Kurama smiled lightly. "That's a start. Perhaps..."

"You said it was a black skull," Granger said, his voice surprised. "If you heard the voice again, would you recognize it?"

Hiei nodded and shivered. "I doubt that I would ever be able to forget it."

Granger then suddenly walked out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Kurama pulled Hiei into his arms and smiled lightly at him. Hiei tried to smile back, but the smile was fake and his mate knew it. So much for the plans that they had made for the day... Kurama kissed his forehead gently. "It's gonna be alright. If Granger has someone in mind, I will be here this time. I'm not going anywhere."

Hiei wrapped his arms around the fox and buried his head into his shoulder. "I wish things were different, fox... that we could have been together today instead of... this."

Granger returned a few minutes later. Kurama covered Hiei's eyes, letting his ears do the work. Granger was holding the man by the arm and hauled him in front of the couple. Kurama frowned up at the man, he was built like a tank. The man growled and pulled his arm free from Granger's grasp. "What is the meaning of this, Granger?"

Hiei flinched in Kurama's arms, and Kurama frowned up at him. "How dare you!"

The man frowned at the fox. "What the hell are you talking about? Granger, this is highly unnecessary! If you wanted to talk, then we could have stayed in the office."

Hiei was shivering in Kurama's arms, his grip on Kurama's waist tightening to resemble that of a vice grip. Granger grabbed the man by the arm and pulled him to the side. "You are hereby relieved of duty, Malcolm. And under arrest."

Hiei smiled into Kurama's shoulder, something that Kurama couldn't feel. Granger took the man out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving the couple behind to reflect on what had just happened. Hiei pulled away after the sounds of the man shouting down the hall was no longer heard. He looked around and then to Kurama. He sighed lightly and laid his head on his shoulder, this time, a real smile reaching the corners of his lips. "Thank you for not letting me see him."

Kurama smiled as he wrapped his arms around his mate once again. "I told you, I want to help you through this. I had to see the face of my assailant every single time. He did it on purpose, so that I would remember him for the rest of my life. But you haven't seen his face, and I wasn't about to let you see it. It is the only thing that I could offer you at the moment."

Hiei smiled into Kurama's shoulder, perhaps he would be able to get passed this. Just a few hours ago, he thought that this one moment was going to dictate his every single decision in life. But now... he knew for a fact that it was just a horrible thing that had happened, and now... it was over, just like Kurama said.

Granger knocked on the door a while later, Kurama looking up. Granger walked in, seeing that Hiei was asleep on Kurama's shoulder and smiled lightly at the sight. "I had him transferred to another prison system. Hiei will never have to face him again. But I am going to have to put this in his report, but just let him know... it will not affect the parole board's decisions later on down the road."

Kurama nodded and smiled lightly. "Thank you, Granger. I will tell him..."

"I heard," Hiei said drowsily. "Those doors are too loud to sleep through."

Granger chuckled lightly. "I have talked to the superintendents. They know what has happened, and they have granted one request for me. I asked them to allow you to stay here for the night. If that is something that you want."

Kurama smiled and nodded. "I would like that."

Granger smiled and turned to leave. "Don't think for a second that I don't care about the good ones in here. I may be the warden... but that doesn't mean that I am a heartless bastard."

Kurama nodded and watched him leave. He then smiled as he turned to Hiei, who was staring at him with glittering red eyes. "All night... wow. I feel special."

Hiei smiled lightly looking up at Kurama. "I knew that a long time ago."

Kurama smiled and a thought came to mind. "You know... I still have my powers... I can heal you."

Hiei blinked... "You horny fox."

Kurama smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "Always."

Hiei smirked just before his lips were claimed, perhaps he could have the time that they had promised each other. They did have all night. Hiei sighed softly as Kurama laid him against the cushion, reaching into his hair, never once breaking his kiss. Kurama took a small seed from his hair and broke it between his fingers. He slowly reached down, and ran his hand under the rim of Hiei's pants, smearing the liquid from the broken seed over the sensitive areas of Hiei's lower regions. Hiei hissed, his teeth clenched tightly as he felt the pressure from his mate's hand. But after a moment, the pain that was once a dull throb there slowly ebbed away and left a warm fuzzy feeling. Kurama looked at him and smiled. "Feel better?"

Hiei smiled lightly, nodded and pulled the fox into a kiss. "It's still a few hours before they serve anything for dinner... in the meantime... I want you to make good on your promise."

Kurama smiled and leaned in to kiss the small fire demon. "With pleasure."

))_))_

The end of Chapter Nine: Forced. Now I know that isn't how things go. But hey... my story, my way. So... the next chapter is going to be very action filled so please stay tuned to find out what happens next. Please comment, review and leave your requests. I look forward to hearing from you all. Until next time... ta ta for now.


	10. Chapter 10: Break Out

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I do own the storyline and the few original characters. Now... time has passed a little bit and Kurama and Hiei have finally been mated, each sporting a matching mark on their left side of their necks. What will happen when Kurama and several other visitors get caught up in a massive jailbreak attempt?**_

))_))_

"I love you," Kurama said as he walked out of the room. It had almost been a full year since Hiei was attacked in the showers and it was as if he almost didn't remember it. For the smile had returned to his face, and Granger was glad about that. Hiei was the only prisoner that he was really protective of, considering it was Hiei and his teammates that had put nearly sixty percent of the prisoners there.

Granger told Hiei that he was going to have to wait a bit before he was taken back to his cell, that the other prisoners were still out and about a bit. Hiei didn't mind. He had just had the best afternoon with his mate and was looking forward to the rest of his week. For that coming Thursday, he had a hearing with the Parole Board. He was actually excited about it, for it meant a chance that he could go home.

Hiei looked at the guard who came to escort him to his cell. "Hey Brian."

"Sup, half-pint," the guard said with a smile as he placed the handcuffs on Hiei's wrists. "Have a nice day?"

Hiei smirked, he wasn't stupid. Granger apparently had a big mouth, and Kurama and Hiei were the talk of the guard houses. Hiei kept his mouth shut as the two began the walk to his cell. But as they came to a corner, a loud buzzer went off, the sound echoing off the walls. "Prisoner escape. Prisoner escape. Lock-down initiated."

Hiei looked at Brian who had a mortified look on his face. He was somewhat new and quite inexperienced. Suddenly, Granger's voice was heard over Brian's walkie-talkie. "All guards return to your posts. I repeat, all guards return to your posts immediately. We have hostages in C-Wing. I repeat, We had hostages in C-Wing."

Brian looked at Hiei and frowned. The look on his face said it all... Kurama was one of them. Hiei frowned as the guard tried to quicken his steps. They came to one of the halls that housed several rows of cells. Everyone of the doors were opened, and not a prisoner was in sight. Brian swallowed hard as he began down the hall. Granger came over the walkie-talkie again, this time informing all those listening that several guard stations have been overrun. Hiei looked at Brian, the poor kid was scared half to death. Several gunshots rang out, echoing off the hall. Hiei looked up and seen that he was in D-Wing. He felt his blood boil... Kurama. He acted without thought. He turned and pulled Brian into one of the cells and tripped him with his leg. Brian hit the floor and sat up shaking his head. Hiei reached down to his belt and took his walkie-talkie and the ring of keys there.

"Hiei! No... don't do this man!" the young guard said as he quickly stood up.

Hiei backed out of the cell and slammed it shut, locking it with a key on the ring. "Sorry kid, but this is for your own good."

"Hiei, don't do this!" Brian shouted as he watched Hiei turn and start running to the north, the cuffs dropping to the floor a few feet later.

When Hiei turned the corner, he stopped. The sight before him stole his breath, or maybe that was the stench of blood and death that was filling his nose that took his breath away. Hiei swallowed hard, covering his nose with his arm. He then turned and took off the other way, he had to find a corner, fast. Once he passed through an opened door, there was the sound of prisoners yelling farther ahead, so he stopped. He leaned against the wall and swallowed hard. He raised the walkie-talkie to his mouth and pressed the button. "Granger, talk to me."

After a moment of white noise, the voice appeared on the other side. "Hiei? Who gave you their walkie?"

Hiei shook his head. "Where are the hostages? Please tell me that Kurama isn't one of them."

Granger shook his head, damn that hot headed little punk. He was on the loose. He turned to all of the cameras and spotted him leaning against the wall in the upper levels of D-Wing. Granger shook his head. "Hiei, to your left there is a stairwell. Get your ass up that stairwell and go to the guard station! That is an order."

"Fuck that, Granger," Hiei snapped into the walkie. "Did Kurama make it out? If he did, I will go."

Granger looked down as he studied the monitor of the hostages. He sighed heavily. If he lied, Hiei would flip if anything happened to him.

"Dammit Granger, tell me!" Hiei snapped.

"No he didn't," Granger said. "They were all taken before they could get out of the building. Hiei, listen to me..."

"No! You tell me where he is," Hiei said into the walkie-talkie. His voice growled with fury through the earpiece.

Granger sighed. "C-Wing. It's two floors down, but Hiei listen to me... almost every prisoner that you put in here is down in that hall. If you go down there, they are going to kill you."

"Granger, I put them here, because they couldn't beat me," Hiei said. "What makes you think that I can't do it again?"

"You had your energy back then, Hiei," Granger snapped into the walkie-talkie. "You are half the strength of demon you were. And if they find out that they have your mate, they will kill him. Hiei, just get to that guard station... I have a swat team coming in right now."

"SWAT? Are you kidding me?" Hiei snapped. He shook his head and looked at the camera that was swiveled his way. "I can run circles around those guys. I am doing this with or without your help, Chief."

Granger sighed, only Hiei and Kurama called him that. He looked at the monitor to his left and seen that Kurama was holding something to the shot victim's wounds. If he didn't help Hiei through this, Kurama and the rest of the hostages would be next. He shook his head and held the walkie-talkie to his mouth. "You must listen very carefully to what I am about to say to you Hiei. The cuff on your arm is pinching a toxin into you, it is meant to block you from gaining any energy. Punch in the cod and press enter."

He watched Hiei do as he was told on the monitor. Then he looked up at the camera again. Granger nodded and sighed. He was going to lose his job for this... "Now punch i and press enter. The cuff will come off. But you have to promise me that you will try to refrain from killing anyone."

Hiei took off the cuff and looked at the camera again. "I will, but if the situation calls for it... I will have no choice. I will defend myself to the bitter end."

Granger smirked. He figured that was going to be said. "Go to your left, down the hall and past the door, you will see a stairwell that goes down. Once you reach the bottom, go right."

Hiei took off, running past the dead guards, holding his sleeve to his nose to block the smell. He came to the door and looked to his right, and just as Granger had said, there was the stairwell. He took the stairs down, skipping the last three and landed with a thud at the bottom. He turned right and walked through the door there. "Go down the hall and take the next set of stairs. They will be on your left."

Hiei listened and took to the next set of stairs. He heard voices at the bottom and stopped. "Granger, I need you to be my eyes here. How many are at the bottom."

"Four... and you might recognize one of them," he said.

Shit... he was hoping that he didn't run into anyone just yet, he hadn't been able to pull enough of his energy back yet. He shook his head and took the stairs, when reaching the bottom, kicking one that was on his way up. The other three turned and looked at him. They lunged, Hiei dodged them and hit one of them in the back, sending his head straight into the metal bar of the staircase rail. He felt the sting of a punch from his right, he turned and wiped the blood from his lip, and stood, waiting to see which of the last two were going to attack first. The one on his right stepped forward, and Hiei simply decked him, sending the man to the ground holding his nose. The other attacked, making Hiei step back and put his arm up to parry, sending his free arm to punch the guy in the throat. He too feel to the ground, gasping for air. He turned and made sure that none of them were going to get up. He seen one of the guard batons sitting on the ground.

"Go to your left, Hiei. There will be a long hallway, with a locked door. If you still have those keys, the orange handle will open it," Granger told him. "But Hiei, take a breather... let your energy come, because I cannot count how many there are a little beyond the door. There are too many there to handle with just that baton."

Hiei sighed... He just told him to use his energy. But Granger had told him not to kill anyone... make up your mind, Granger. Hiei sat against the wall for a minute to concentrate his energy. He could feel it returning now, now that his blood was pumped from the simple fight moments before. He took a few deep breaths and stood up from the wall. He frowned as he began to walk down the hall. He came to the door cautiously and peered through the window. He shook his head and stepped back a bit...

"Didn't notice all the assault rifles that they had, did you, Granger?" Hiei snapped into the walkie-talkie. "That is why you wanted me to prepare my energies."

"And Bingo was his name-o," Granger said into the walkie talkie. "I don't want you to kill anyone, but the only way to the hostages is through all of them and then two guard stations. They are being held in the second guard station. But Hiei, they had somehow gotten hold of one of the superintendents... you must be cautious."

Hiei sighed. Just great, one of the people that would be there at his Parole hearing was being held prisoner in his own prison... just great... Hiei doubted that it would look too good for him that he was the one breaking in, not the SWAT team. Hiei shook his head... that's fine by him. He would spend the rest of his sentence in here if it meant that Kurama walked away safely. He took another calming breath and crouched on his knees next to the lock. He took the keys from his pocket and pulled out the orange handled key. He held it in his hand as he got ready. He had a plan that would disable them all at once, but only if he could pull it off. Granger was watching from his office, and frowned as he watched Hiei sit there, unmoving.

Hiei pulled the very heat from the air, gaining his strength. He felt the amount needed and smiled lightly. The negativity in the air was like a steroid for his energy. His energy could feed off negativity, where Kurama's fed off positivity... whoa... that was new... like Yin and Yang. He took the key in his hand and reached up, slowly inserting it into the lock. Granger held his breath as he seen several of the men turn at the sound. They shrugged their shoulders after seeing nothing on the other side of the glass and turned back to their conversing. Hiei slowly turned the key, holding it, trying to turn the lock slowly enough that it would go unnoticed until he wanted it to be known. And it worked. The lock was completely unlocked and no one noticed it. Hiei smirked as he pulled the key out of the lock. He sat on his heels, his energy began to swirl around him. He let the warmth from the heat of the day build the intensity of his mounting attack. He smiled lightly and tossed the baton behind him, letting it clatter on the floor behind him. He crossed his arms, the energy building still as several of the men came to look through the door. When the men notified the others of someone out there, they all gathered close and advanced on the door. As the large group of convicts stood at the door, Hiei released his energy, a sea of raw power that glowed red. The windows in the doors shattered, causing glass to fly everywhere, and the doors burst open pushing the inmates back several feet. A second blast of the burning energy shot through them all, knocking them off their feet, instantly causing them all to black out, groaning on the floor.

"Sorry about the door, Granger," Hiei said lowly into the walkie talkie, but a smile was plastered on his face.

"Yeah, sure ya are," Granger replied. "Now... straight ahead is a guard station. It's empty, but it leads to a six foot hall that leads to the second guard station. That is where you need to be, Hiei. Hurry."

Hiei stood up and grabbed the baton, standing up and racing towards the first guard station. The inmates had disabled the locks on the doors, for Hiei simply had to push threw them. He stopped and cautiously walked through the next hallway.

"Rocko, What the hell is going on out here?" a man said as he opened the door to the second guard station. "Rocko?"

The man looked around, Hiei standing crouched behind the now opened door. For once in his life, Hiei was actually grateful for his short stature. The man took one step out the door and raised the assault rifle to look around. Hiei pushed the door closed just enough to grab the rifle from the man, swinging it in the man's hands, until a shot rang out, and the inmate fell to the ground clutching his stomach. Hiei took the rifle and took a deep breath.

"Vincent?" a familiar voice called out from the inside of the room. "What happened? What's going on out there?"

Hiei figured it was time to take a chance. He slowly blew out a steady breath and prayed that Kurama was no where near the man with the gun. He secured the rifle to his shoulder and took a step into the room. "Drop the gun, Shinto."

The man turned, as did all of the hostages, one in particular felt his heart go cold. Shinto, a man convicted of murder in seven cases, smiled lightly and snickered lightly. "What a pleasant surprise, Hiei. I didn't know that you were here."

"I said, drop the weapon!" Hiei snapped, the red laser pointer landing on his opponent's chest. "Drop the weapon, and no one gets hurt. You just might live to see another day."

Shinto smirked and raised the gun, pointing it at the superintendent. "I don't think so, Hiei. Not now. I will not give in this time. You tricked me the last time, making me think that same thing. Well guess what, I ain't falling for it this time."

Hiei pulled the trigger, Shinto looked behind him at the glass. He frowned and turned back to Hiei, who was now standing in front of all of the hostages. Shinto took several steps back and raised the gun to Hiei. "I told you, I ain't falling for it again!"

"This isn't a game anymore, Shinto," Hiei said, his stance firm, unwilling to move. "There is an entire SWAT team on their way here, right now. They know about this, they know that it is you. And it won't be me that they shoot."

Shinto took a second to glance at the door and frowned as he looked back to Hiei, his grip securing to the gun. "You are such a talented liar, Hiei. Always have been."

"I am warning you, Shinto," Hiei said, his finger returning to the trigger. "The first shot was a warning. The next one won't miss."

"All this to protect your mate? How charming," Shinto said looking at the fox behind him, still holding a bloody sweater to the wounded hostage's chest. "You will both die together."

Before Shinto could take a shot, and before Hiei could take a shot, the door burst open, and the SWAT team swarmed the room. Hiei seen them and instantly dropped the gun and held his hands up. Shinto, however, wasn't going down without a fight. He raised his gun, aimed at the superintendent behind the fire demon and took a shot. The sound of two shots was heard, followed by several screams from the hostages. Shinto hit the floor, a single shot through the skull had ended his attempt at freedom. The members of the SWAT team had come to gather the hostages, including Kurama. Kurama fought against them as he seen the superintendent stand up beside him. Hiei had stepped in front of the bullet intended for the man in charge of the prisoners here. Hiei swallowed hard as he felt the blood run down his side. His hand reached it and he pulled his hand back, small rivers of blood dripping from his fingers. Kurama struggled against the SWAT members, telling them that Hiei was his mate, but they refused to release him. Hiei fell to his knees as the SWAT got to his side.

Hiei blinked as he struggled to take a deep breath. The bullet had hit his lung, for he could feel the bubble in his breath, and swallowed hard again as the members of the team in black swarmed around him. The last thing he saw was bright lights, and the SWAT team talking amongst themselves. Then the lights seemed to blur together, the sounds drowned out, into nothing.

))_))_

End of Chapter Ten: Break out. I know, I am sorry that I am no good at action scenes. I am a romance kinda person, therefore action scenes are difficult for me. So... stay tuned to see what happens to our brave Hiei. Until then, please leave your comments and your reviews but please, no haters. You will be blocked. Until next time, ta ta for now.


	11. Chapter 11: The End

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the storyline and the few original characters. Now... Hiei is alright, I promise... remember he is immortal. He was just shot and now is recovering. This charming little story comes to an end here after this chapter. So please read and review. I give you Chapter Eleven: The End.  
**_

))_))_

Hiei groaned as he opened his eyes, looking around the room and seeing nothing but white. Was he dead? He asked himself. No... immortals couldn't die. He frowned as he heard voices coming from somewhere nearby. He recognized one of them as Kurama's voice. He was talking to someone, and it sounded like he was getting frustrated.

"He saved your life!" Kurama said to one of the other people. "Please... just..."

"I understand that you want your mate to come home, but until we review what happened and discuss things with one another, there is nothing we can do," a woman said to him. "There are rules here."

Kurama sighed heavily. "If Hiei hadn't stepped in and taken off on the guard, who knows how many of those prisoners would have actually escaped... He did you all a favor."

"Because of you," another woman said. "He only did it for you. If there were other reasons behind his actions, then things might go differently."

"But ma'am, you don't understand... Hiei did do it for me, yes! But if it was only for me, then he would have gotten me out of there and not looked back. He did it for all of those involved. He has been a hostage before! He knows how terrifying it can be! And again, he wouldn't have stepped in the way of the bullet meant for you, Mr. Takanashi." Kurama took a breath and didn't let things go. "You were the only one there, you saw how he acted. Hiei wasn't only protecting me, he was protecting everyone, by using himself as a shield! He did get away from his guard, yes... but he had a perfectly reasonable explanation for it!"

The other people took several steps out of the room and began to discuss, afraid what Kurama would do to them if he heard what they had to say to one another.

Mr. Takanashi sighed heavily as he walked into the room. "I wish that things could have been different, here today Kurama, I really do. But I have twenty three inmates with serious burns," the superintendent said to him. "I'm sorry... my hands are tied."

"Figures," Hiei said from the bed, finally having enough of them treating his mate like a cheeky ingrate. "I do something good for this retched place and the only thing I get in return is the five of you harassing my mate!"

Mr. Takanashi turned to the fire demon. The others had returned to the room upon hearing him awaken and stood around the end of his bed. "Would you like to tell your story?"

Hiei sighed heavily and nodded as he watched Kurama come to stand beside him, glaring at the five opposing parties. "Kurama is right. If I only did it for him, then I would have protected only him. But I wasn't in fear for his life, because I know that there is nothing in this world that can take him from me. The other hostages, however, were another story. Mr. Takanashi, I knew that you had a wife and three kids at home... I would hate to see a fucking funeral on the television where your wife was only given a flag and the utmost respect because of you. And the others, yeah, maybe I didn't know their story, but I am sure that they had loved ones at home that would have been devastated if someone hadn't stepped in when I did.

Do I regret what I did, yes, I knew that I had a chance to see you all on my approved Parole Hearing date, but that was pushed to the side. I could try to convince you that I am not a threat to others any other day of the week. But the fact that innocent lives were at stake from a man that I put in here myself, I couldn't help it. Ever since I started to work for Koenma, my job was to protect... and no amount of years in here is going to stop that natural instinct that Koenma drilled into me.

But the burning question that is probably running through each of your minds, is this... Would I do it again? HELL YES! I can't just drop everything and stand there like a pussy in my cell. I am not that type of person. I would have hung myself before I just sat back and watched. And no, I am not suicidal. If I was, I would have done so a long time ago. But I have been here for three and a half years, I have followed EVERY single rule that you have put into place. And I will be DAMNED if I am going to sit back here and let you criticize my actions."

Hiei crossed his arms and watched the five people at the end of his bed turn and leave the room. Kurama smiled brightly at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Hiei looked up and seen tears in his eyes. Hiei frowned and reached up, his gentle hand wiping the tears from his beloved's face. Kurama smiled at the action and held his hand there.

Only two of the men returned to the room. Hiei looked up at them, Kurama still holding his hand although it was now resting on the bed beside him. One man smiled lightly. "I only have one question... IF we let you out... would you have any regrets as to why you were here in the first place?"

Hiei frowned. He thought back to what he had been practicing to say... but it wouldn't come. Well he had spoken from the heart so far, might as well continue that streak. "No, I would have done everything the same. I most likely would have killed that ingrate for hurting my fox, I would have accepted my sentence as I have done. I wouldn't change things, maybe I might have held back a little, but I wouldn't take it back. Kurama was the only thing on my mind when that asshole gave him that beating.

I told you before, I am not the type of person to sit back and let things happen. I will not let bad things happen to good and innocent people. Not even if I hated the victim would I be able to sit back while someone threatened to take their life. I would do it again, if it meant that I was doing my job. Protect and serve. That is what I was trained to do. Yes, I may be a little rough around the edges but that is just me... I can't change who I am. But when I signed my contract with Koenma... I knew that I was bound by law to protect those who could not protect themselves. I WILL NOT TAKE THAT BACK."

The two men looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They turned back to the group outside. Hiei sighed heavily, hoping that he hadn't screwed his chances of getting out of here. Kurama leaned against the bed and kissed his cheek. "I love you so much, Hiei."

Hiei smiled as he turned to the fox beside him. "You wouldn't take anything back?" Kurama shook his head with a smile. "Never. I would have everything JUST the way it is. Never think that I would change the way things happened. I love you too much to change anything." Hiei smiled as Kurama leaned back down and kissed him gently. Hiei heard the five people walk back into the room, but the moment being shared with Kurama was too sweet to pass up, so he ignored them as he kissed his fox back. One of the women cleared her throat and the two broke apart.

"There will be plenty of time for that later," she said, her voice strict. She sighed heavily and looked at the folder in her hand. "It pains me to have to do this, but I seem to have no choice."

Hiei frowned and looked down, Kurama's heart sank, after all that, Hiei was denied. Until the woman spoke again. "It seems that the people are going to miss you around here, Hiei. As the head of the Parole Board, and wife of the Superintendent, I hereby... grant your parole. With the exceptions that follow. You must return to work for Koenma a minimal of one year, you must continue to strive to be better at things you do, and most of all... reflect on all that you have learned during your stay with us here."

Hiei blinked as he seen Kurama's hands cover his mouth from the explosion that was brewing there. The five people walked out of the room and Kurama let loose. He cried, he laughed, he cried some more and he leaned over the fire demon in the bed, kissing him all over his face. Hiei had never felt such a joy in his life... well there was the time when they mated but that was utter bliss, not simply joy. He hugged Kurama back who seemed to be unable to stop the tears from flowing down his face. Kurama pulled back for a moment and stared into those gleaming ruby eyes.

"Yes, my fox... I'm coming home," he said and the fox fell into another round of tears. Hiei held him as he smiled, home. He was going home. That word had never meant anything to him, but now it would, it meant everything to him now... HIS fox, HIS home, and HIS new life was starting to look brighter by the minute.

Suddenly, Granger escorted several visitors into the room. Every single one of them were holding flowers of some sort, and Granger himself was holding a sign with one of the visitors, the sign said Congratulations, You Got Parole. Hiei smiled lightly, it was Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, Shizuru, Keiko, Genkai, and even Yukina. They all cheered and began to chant "For he's a jolly good fellow..."

Kurama smiled as he leaned back for a moment. The sights and sounds were too much, Hiei thought. They could have waited until he was actually out to celebrate, but with the sound of a bottle of champagne being opened, he knew that wasn't gonna happen. Oh, well. That was life. He smiled as the larger group surrounded them. They all took a glass of the bubbly liquid, clinking the glasses together, after Granger said to them all. "Here's to you Hiei."

Kurama smiled behind his glass, watching them all together, he could get used to this. Having Hiei at the center of it all, laughing with them, even smiling at them. Kurama took another sip of his bubbly. Home. That was all that he could think of... his new beginning with Hiei. Home sweet home.

))_))_

The End. I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave your comments and reviews to the story and I hope that you will continue to read the stories that are in my name. Well, ta ta for now and again, thanks for reading.


End file.
